Tina Maze captures women's giant slalom

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MARIBOL, Slovenia, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Sunday was a banner day for Tina Maze, who won the women's World Cup giant slalom in her homeland of Slovenia, padding her lead in the overall points standings.

Maze was clocked at 1 minute, 33.68 in her two runs in the Golden Fox Trophy event at Maribor, nearly a full second ahead of second-place Frida Hansdotter of Sweden.

Kathrin Zettle grabbed the third spot on the podium by edging Veronika Velez-Zuzulova by 0.01 seconds.

It was the first slalom win of the season for Maze and came before a crowd of 20,000 of her countrymen lining the slopes at Maribor. "In my head, I had to win here in Maribor," said Maze. "The pressure was enormous."

The win widened Maze's lead over Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch in the overall points race to 1,654-806.

Teenage phenom Mikaela Shiffrin was the top United States finished with an eighth place. Shiffrin finished in 1:35.61 and held on to her lead in the giant slalom standings.