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Janka finishes amongst leaders in Austria

Switzerland’s Carlo Janka took fourth place in the World Cup giant slalom in Austria on Sunday.

The first race of the season on Austria’s Sölden glacier was won by the United States’ Ted Ligety.

Janka, who has been suffering from back pain for the past three weeks, described the result as a good start to the season.

“Making the top five is always an excellent result. I can’t say I’m disappointed, especially seeing as my preparation was not ideal given the problems that I have been having with my back,” Janka said.

Sunday’s racing was not so satisfying for the other Swiss hopes, with veteran Didier Cuche eliminated in the final metres of the second round.

Marc Berthod (24th), Sandro Viletta (25th), Beat Feuz (33rd), Silvan Zurbriggen (44th) and Daniel Albrecht (46th) all finished well behind the leaders.

Finishing 28th, Didier Défago, who returned to competition after a year out due to injury, was satisfied with his overall performance.

“I achieved 75 per cent of my goal,” Défago said. “I succeeded in some very good passages, even if I made a big mistake in the second run. I know now that I have what it takes to again mix it with the best.”

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR