Tomba Claims Lead in World Cup Skiing

Italy’s Alberto Tomba flashed down an icy course and won a giant slalom race today in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia, to gain an overall lead in the World Cup standings.

Tomba, timed at 2 minutes, 24.96 seconds, beat runner-up Urs Kaelin of Switzerland by 0.53 of a second.

Tomba’s victory, his third this season and the 16th of his career, gave him 97 World Cup points.

Downhill specialist Franz Heinzer of Switzerland, who did not compete today, was in second place after 10 World Cup races, with 76 points.

Three-time World Cup champion Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, who finished third today in 2:26.23, also was third overall, with 66 points.

No Americans qualified for the second run.

Petra Kronberger of Austria won a downhill race today in Morzine, France, for her fourth victory in six World Cup races.

Kronberger, who finished second in her other two starts, was timed in 1:41.72 seconds.