WHISTLER, British Columbia, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg made up enough time on the five skiers in front of her Thursday to become the surprise winner of the Olympic giant slalom.
Rebensburg is fifth in the giant slalom World Cup rankings this season, but in her 52 career starts on the circuit she has never won a race. Her best finish has been a second this season in a giant slalom at Cortina, the only time she has ever been in the top three of a World Cup event.
The giant slalom was to have been concluded Wednesday, but fog forced suspension of the second run. American Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the first run and suffered a broken little finger.
Elisabeth Goergl of Austria, bronze medalist in the downhill, had the lead after the first run by .02 of a second over Tina Maze of Slovenia.
Rebensburg was sixth, .35 of a second behind Goergl.
Rebensburg turned in a 1:11.64 on her second run and jumped to the top of the standings, but her overall time of 2:27.11 was not expected to stand up.
Maze was next to ski and she finished .04 of a second behind the combined time of Rebensburg. Austria's Eva-Maria Brem could not crack the podium, nor could another Austrian skier, Kathrin Zettel.
That left only Taina Barioz of France and Goergl with a chance to supplant Rebensburg and neither could do so. Barioz had only the 24th best of the second run and Goergl was almost a full second slower than the German.
Maze won the silver and Goergl settled for her second bronze of the Olympics.
American Julie Mancuso began in 18th place after being caught up in Vonn's incident on Wednesday.
Mancuso skied behind Vonn and officials allowed Mancuso to start her run even though Vonn was still being assisted while entangled in the fence. Mancuso's run was waved off and when she finally was able to start again, her time was 1.30 seconds slower than Goergl.
Mancuso had the third fastest run Thursday and moved up to an eighth-place finish.
