Christian Ghedina raced to his first World...

Christian Ghedina raced to his first World Cup victory in the men’s downhill in his hometown, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy.

Ghedina was clocked in 1:34.39 down a course shortened to 2,650 meters because fog had reduced visibility on the upper part of the course. Daniel Mahrer of Switzerland was second, 0.16 seconds back. The top 19 skiers finished within one second of each other.

A.J. Kitt of Rochester, N.Y., was fourth, the best finish by an American in a World Cup downhill since Doug Lewis was runner-up in a 1985 race at Argentina.

In women’s skiing, Katrin Gutensohn-Knopf, who last won a race four years ago on the Austrian team, captured her first World Cup victory for West Germany in a downhill at Veysonnaz, Switzerland. Gutensohn-Knopf was clocked in 1:17.41 minutes.

And on the U.S. Pro Tour, Austrian Sebastian Vitzthum won his first giant slalom in the 15th annual First Interstate Bank Cup at Winter Park, Colo. American Phil Mahre was third.