Swiss teammates Brigitte Gadient and Vreni Schneider...

Swiss teammates Brigitte Gadient and Vreni Schneider finished 1-2 in a women’s world series slalom race as the European Alpine skiing season got under way at Sestriere, Italy.

It was the 23-year-old Gadient’s first international victory. She was timed in 1 minute 34.27 seconds. Schneider was second in 1:35.44. Austrian Monika Maierhofer was third in 1:35.45.

Favored Erica Hess of Switzerland, who was second to Austria’s Roswitha Steiner in the World Cup slalom standings last season, finished seventh in 1:36.07.