Maier wins giant slalom

BORMIO, Italy, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Austrian Hermann Maier won the giant slalom Thursday in the Alpine World Championships in Italy.

Benjamin Raich, Maier's countryman, finished second and American Daron Rahlves was third.

Maier, a former Olympic giant slalom champion, beat Raich by 0.25 seconds and Rahlves by 0.68.

Bode Miller of the United States crashed on his run. Miller, who had already won two gold medals in the competition -- in the super-giant slalom and downhill races -- is expected to try for a third in the slalom run Saturday.

The giant slalom race had been delayed a day because of a strike by Italian state television employees.