Putzer wins women's World Cup Super-G

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Italian Karen Putzer stayed alive to collect her second career World Cup win Saturday in a difficult super-G that ejected most of the circuit's stars.

Putzer tamed the 2,118-metre (1.3-mile) Engiadina course to win in one minute, 26.18 seconds, clinching the event here for the second straight year.

"I had a perfect run and I'm very satisfied," Putzer said. "I was able to win here a second time. My coach told me where the difficult passages were so I knew what to expect.

"I like super-Gs that are fast but not too much like a downhill. This one was more similar to the more technical giant slalom and this suited me well."

The unpredictability of the course led to the self-destruction of most of the favorites, leaving many of the less heralded skiers to sweep the podium.

Four of the first five women to race crashed out or missed a gate. Casualties included downhill World Cup champion Isolde Kostner of Italy, runnerup in Friday's race, as well as super-G Olympic silver medalist Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria.

Putzer's compatriot Daniela Ceccarelli was second in 1:26.93.

American Kirsten Clark tied for third with Austrian Stefanie Schuster in 1:27.15.

Several of the skiers complained that the course had been altered after the women had already had their morning inspection run because forerunners testing the course moments before the race had all run into trouble.

"It was difficult, particularly for the first girls who had no idea what to expect," said Swiss favorite Corinne Rey Bellet, the third-place finisher in Friday's downhill.

The podium finishers disagreed.

"Some of the gates were changed today, one of the last gates was, I know, but no one saw the course afterward so it was equal for everyone," Putzer argued.

The winner of the last super-G in Val d'Isere, France, Hilde Gerg finished fifth and sits atop the discipline rankings with 195 points, with Putzer in second on 140. Dorfmeister continued to lead the overall rankings with 448 points, with Kostner behind with 353.