Steiner Leads Austria’s 1-3 Finish in Women’s Slalom

Roswitha Steiner won the slalom Sunday for her second victory this season, and teammate Ida Ladstaetter finished third behind World Cup leader Erika Hess of Switzerland in the best Austrian women’s slalom showing in seven years.

Steiner was fastest in the first heat with a time of 40.89 seconds, ahead of Ladstaetter and Anni Kronbichler, a 1-2-3 Austrian sweep.

In the second heat, Hess, attacking furiously after trailing the Austrians in sixth place, had the best time of 37.93. But Steiner’s 38.23, the second-fastest clocking, was enough for a winning total of 1 minute 19.12 seconds on Mt. Pohorje. Hess trailed the winner by 77 hundredths of a second.

Ladstaetter finished third in 1:20.33. Fourth was another Swiss skier, Brigitte Gadient, in 1:20.37.

“I am so happy about my team’s performance, but I am also sad that Anni fell,” said Steiner, referring a spill by Kronbichler in the second heat that ruined the Austrian chances of a possible 1-2-3 sweep.

Hess expanded her World Cup-leading total to 101 points. Michaela Gerg of West Germany is second with 60. Maria Walliser of Switzerland and Steiner are tied for third with 50 points each. Hess also leads in the slalom World Cup standings with 65 points to Steiner’s 50.

The icy track took a heavy toll. Of 87 starters, 38 dropped out in the first heat and 7 of 30 starters did not finish or were disqualified in the second.

There were four Austrians among the top 15. Eva Twardokens of Squaw Valley, Calif., was 16th in 1:22.93.

Tamara McKinney, also of Squaw Valley, took a headlong spill early in the second heat. But she still is the best U.S. skier in the World Cup slalom standings in eighth place with 16 points.

In the overall Cup standings, Debbie Armstrong of Seattle is ninth with 37 points.