Skiing: World Cup won by a Street

kiing

World Cup won by a Street

Picabo Street of the United States secured the World Cup downhill title when she won her third downhill in a row and fifth this season in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, yesterday. The American won the race on the lower half of the 3,080 metre course with a time of 1min 50.57sec. The American AJ Kitt accused s officials of corruption in Kvitfjell, Norway. Kitt made his allegation because a rule which the International Ski Federation (FIS) used to deny him victory at Aspen last Sunday was apparently being ignored. Last weekend Kitt set a winning time in the Aspen downhill. The race was later suspended because of poor visibility after only 31 of the 68 competitors had been down. But on Wednesday the FIS said it was scrapping the result, citing the rule that a result only counts if two-thirds of the skiers have competed. Yesterday the same scenario was repeated - with an apparently different ending. Italy's Pietro Vitalini clocked the best time, but deteriorating weather meant only 37 skiers finished the race - 11 short of two-thirds. The US team have lodged an official protest. Provisionally, however, the result stands. "It really pisses me off," Kitt said. "If this race is not cancelled, it's proof of what I call corruption."