Gut speeds to podium finish in World Cup race

Swiss ski star Lara Gut mounted an impressive comeback on Sunday to log her second podium finish of the season in World Cup competition.

Gut was in 15th place in the women’s giant slalom after the opening run in Semmering, Austria. The 17-year-old skier then posted the fastest time of the day in the final leg of the race to take third place, 0.55 seconds behind winner Kathrin Zettel of Austria.

Manuela Mölgg of Italy took second.

Sunday’s finish has left Gut in fifth place overall in giant slalom races and in seventh place overall in general World Cup standings.

“Simply sensational,” said Hans Pum, Austria’s team director, about Gut. “Lara is an enrichment for the entire sport.”

Gut, who won her first World Cup race on December 20 in St Moritz, is now 173 points behind Lindsey Vonn of the United States, the current overall women’s leader.

In the men’s division, Switzerland’s Didier Cuche finished fifth in a downhill race held on a particularly bumpy, icy course in Bormio, Italy. Daniel Albrecht took eighth while Carlo Janka finished tenth.

Italy’s Christof Innerhofer won the men’s downhill, 0.93 seconds ahead of Cuche, who currently ranks third in overall World Cup standings.

Swiss cross-country ski racers also had a good day on Sunday. Dario Cologna took second in a 3.7-kilometre race in Oberhof, Germany, and now sits in first place overall. Toni Livers finished third in a 15-kilometre contest there.