Swiss downhill racer Corinne Rey-Bellet has finished third in the first women's World Cup downhill race of the season in Lake Louise.

The 29-year-old covered the 2,741-metre Men's Olympic downhill course in 1"37'26, finishing 51 hundredth of a second behind the winner.

Isolde Kostner of Italy won Thursday's race and glided down the Lake Louise run in an unofficial time of 1"36'75.

She finished ahead of downhill world champion Michaela Dorfmeister from Austria, who came second.

This was Kostner's 10th career downhill win and the former world super-G champion was very happy afterwards.

"It is a really good start. To begin that well makes the next races easier," she said after the race.

Switzerland's Catherine Borghi came fourth with 73 hundredth of a second slower than Kostner; Sylviane Berthod came eighth.

Canada's Melanie Turgeon appeared headed for a top-three run but caught an edge and crashed hard into the snow near the finish line, with one ski flying into the air.

Turgeon said she had a sore right arm, however, expected to race in Friday's second downhill.

Rey-Bellet now ranks third in the overall downhill table, closely followed by her compatriot Catherine Borghi. Sylviane Berthod is in eighth place.

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