Skiing: Maier denies Wachter a hat-trick

Austria's Ulrike Maier did just enough to win the giant slalom at Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, thwarting Anita Wachter's attempt to win a third successive World Cup race in that discipline. Maier, third in Friday's giant slalom behind Wachter on the same Cevedale piste, won by only 0.28sec with Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg, the Olympic champion who ruptured her Achilles tendon in January, taking third place. 'My form is good and I intend to keep the ball rolling as we move towards the Olympics,' Maier said.

(Photograph omitted)