Yet Another Victory for Tomba : Skiing: Italian impresses Marc Girardelli in Germany by winning his seventh World Cup event of the season and the 40th of his career.

As a five-time overall World Cup champion, Marc Girardelli isn’t easily impressed. After finishing nearly two seconds behind Alberto Tomba on Sunday, he was.

“Right now, he seems to be from another world,” Girardelli said after Tomba won a men’s World Cup slalom for his seventh victory of the season.

Tomba extended his overall World Cup lead to 400 points after collecting 100 for Sunday’s victory on the demanding Gudiberg course, where he has won three years in a row. He was timed in 1 minute 38.67 seconds.

“The season is going great, but I am tired after the seventh win,” Tomba said. “I hope to recover for the next races and for the World Championships.”

Although he has three Olympic gold medals, the Italian star never has won a world title. He will get his fourth chance when the World Championships begin Jan. 30 at Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Tomba also never has won the overall World Cup title, mainly because he skips the speed races.

“I don’t want to think about the World Cup right now, some downhills and combined are coming up,” Tomba said. “We’ll have to wait until February. Wait and see.”

Tomba has 750 World Cup points, 400 more than runner-up Jure Kosir of Slovenia.

Tomba has swept all five of the season’s slaloms, plus two of four giant slaloms. He also took the final two slaloms last season.

With his 40th victory, Tomba tied Swiss ace Pirmin Zurbriggen on the all-time list. Ingemar Stenmark leads with 86, while Girardelli has 43.

Girardelli had his best result of the season, finishing second at 1:40.62, returning to the slalom medals podium for the first time in four years.

Yves Dimier of France recorded the best finish of his career, placing third at 1:40.79.

Tomba led after the first run in 49.97, and clocked 48.70 in the second.

“I wasn’t pleased with the course in the first run,” Tomba said. “At one gate you had ice, on the next soft snow. But I was fine in the second run.”

Tomba is approaching his best showing for a season.

In 1987-88, he won six slaloms and three giant slaloms, and repeated the feat in 1991-92.