Italy's Daniela Ceccarelli achieved quite an amazing performance today in winning the women's Olympic Super-G at Snowbasin where the last competition in this area took place by fine weather conditions. Overcoming the odds, the 26-year-old skier from Rome beat by 5/100 of a second an impressive Janica Kostelic while another Italian, Karen Putzer, was 3rd at 27/100.

The three medallists were followed by the main favorites such as the 1999 World Champion Alexandra Meissnitzer, the best Super-G skier of the season Hilde Gerg, the new downhiller Olympic champion Carole Montillet and Renate Goetschl, who was aiming for a third medal here.

Janica was relaxed

Very surprised too was Janica Kostelic, who was close to imitate Norway's Kjetil Aamodt after her excellent run. "I didn't feel so fast today, I was afraid to look at the board at the finish line" said the 20-year-old Croatian who is on her beat way to become the big ski star of these Olympics.

"I felt very relaxed and I enjoyed to race this technical run. I was expected to do well in the combined but I also wanted to get a medal in that event which is quite demanding" she added.

"I didn't train it before the season start, so I needed some time to find my best rhythm this winter. I felt confident after finishing 4th at Cortina d'Ampezzo. This slopes is nice, not to difficult and the course had many nice turns. Ante thought that Renate Goetschl and Alexandra Meissnitzer would be difficult to beat, but I bet on the Italian skiers. I felt that Daniela and Karen would have a good day. It's nice to finish between them. I'm not disappointed at all, it's a great day again for me".

"Now I'll be even more relaxed in the coming competitions. I know that the slalom hill is quite difficult, but I have nothing to lose now."

Janica was happy to be congratulated by both her parents after the race. Her mother Marica was here along her father Ante. In fact, Janica wrote "Mama" on her finger nails this time.

"Ivica will be very happy too I guess - he is now training slalom. We will have a nice time together at the award ceremony this evening!"

Janica is definitely one of the skiers to beat next Wednesday at Deer Valley where the slalom will take place. The other favorites are France's Laure Pequegnot, the leader in the slalom standings, America's Kristina Koznick and Sweden's Anja Paerson, the quadruple winner in the early part of the season.

A year ago, Janica came in 5th at the World Championships at St Anton.

The Italian tradition

It's kind of a tradition that Ceccarelli successfully defended today in this surprising race - since 1984, the Italian team clinched at least one gold medal in Alpine Skiing at the Winter Olympics.

A member of the national team since 1998 after moving from Rome to Bergamo in the Italian Alps to train in better conditions, Daniela never won a race before her first Olympics in Salt Lake City. This season, she reached twice a podium in Super-G and downhill in December and January, but she was not shooting for a medal here after her disappointing 20th place in the downhill.

But she managed to put her acts together before the race - this time, she skied smoother and with greater feelings down the "Wildflower" course.

"When I watched my downhill race on video the other day, I saw that I put too much pressure on my skis down the course, so I tried to be more relaxed this time" she said after her race.

"The course was quite challenging and I hoped to have a solid run. Yet I'm amazed to win the title, it's unbelievable!"

Four more races are scheduled for next week - two giant slaloms and two slaloms at Park City and Deer Valley. Four more occasions for outsiders to beat the favorites!