Switzerland's Lilian Kummer enjoyed her first World Cup victory today in Lienz, in the Austrian Province of Ost-Tirol, after a Giant Slalom race marked by the crashes of several top favorites.

The 26-year-old skier from Riederalp, who never reached a World Cup podium in her career, beat by 3/100 of a second Italy's Karen Putzer, the recent winner in Super-G in St Moritz, while Sweden's Ylva Nowen and Anja Paerson shared the 3rd place at 8/100.

Norway's Andrine Flemmen, the leader after the first run, only finished 16th after a disastrous second run. Her teammate Stine Hofgard Nilsen reached a unprecedented 5th place ahead of Birgit Heeb-Batliner from Liechtenstein.

Not classified some top-specialists such as the Overall World Cup leader Michaela Dorfmeister, Canada's Allison Foryth, Switzerland's Sonja Nef or the 1999 double World Champion Alexandra Meissnitzer who all could not handle a treacherous turn set in the middle of the run.

It was about time for Lilian

Kummer, who is racing for three years now on the World Cup tour, was a disappointed 4th in GS last winter at the World Championships at St Anton.

She didn't skied too well in the early part of the season, that's why she needed to raise her level to keep a solid chance to qualify for the coming Olympics.

Starting in 22nd position, she was able to take her chance in the difficult first run to clock the second fastest time, 46/100 behind Flemmen and 4/100 in front of Putzer.

In the afternoon, she took again all risks and remained ahead of the tiny Italian after her second run. After the arrival of Flemmen, the winner in Copper Mountain last November, she could loudly celebrate her first triumph on the World Cup tour.

"It was about time, I was not pleased by my season-start and I needed a good result to find back a strong momentum" said the Swiss.

"I didn't expect such a kind of result, it's a wonderful surprise I must say. It's a dream which came through".

Janica Kostelic was cautious

Very consistent since her win at Sestriere is Anja Paerson, who reached her third consecutive podium in a technical event. She was 2nd in December in the Giant Slalom at Val d'Isere. She will definitely fight for several Olympic medals in five weeks at Salt Lake City. On Saturday, she may well be the skier to beat in the slalom along other favorites as Sonja Nef, Tanja Poutiannen, Spela Pretnar, Trine Bakke or Laure Pequegnot.

Also among the top-30 in that fourth GS of the season, Janica Kostelic, 22nd at the end of the day. She scores her first points in this event this winter after suffering a spectacular crash at Val d'Isere.

The teenager from Zagreb, who turns 20 in a week during the races in Maribor, could not train as intensively as planned since this accident and she was quite cautious on her way down the "Dolomiten" course.

Before her fall in France, Janica was one of the fastest skiers in the upper section of the first run yet she lost part of her form during the Christmas break.

Her pain at the shoulder and her hip prevented her to practice as much as she wanted. Her next goal is to qualify in the slalom on Saturday.

In Sestriere, she could not enter the top-30 in her first World Cup race since the Finals at Are.