Austrian skier Schild claims record-equalling win

Austrian skier Schild claims record-equalling win

Austria's Marlies Schild won the women's World Cup slalom event in the French resort of Courchevel on Tuesday to equal the record for the most victories in the discipline.

Marlies Schild of Austria competes in the second round of the FIS Women's World Cup Slalom in Courchevel, French Alps on December 17, 2013

Schild has now recorded 34 World Cup slalom wins, equalling the all-time record held by Vreni Schneider of Switzerland.

Schild's total time of 1min 45.17sec saw her triumph by a margin of 0.33sec from Frida Hansdotter of Sweden, while her younger sister Bernadette Schild came third, 1min 22sec off the pace.

The 32-year-old, who underwent knee surgery last year, had not won on the circuit since February last year at Soldeu in Andorra.

This, though, was her third success at Courchevel, following previous wins in 2010 and 2011.

"It is obviously very emotional for me. I hadn't won in almost two years and had started asking questions of myself, while also hoping to recover my best form," she said.

"I have had two difficult years, with back problems and the knee operation last December. But the long wait makes the win all the sweeter.

"It gives me great pleasure to equal Vreni Schneider. I'll need to be quick to beat her record because I am getting older."

Meanwhile, American prodigy Mikaela Shiffrin never recovered from a poor first run and finished 12th.

It was a bad day, too, for France's Tessa Worley, the giant slalom world champion.

She crashed out and was taken to hospital in Lyon for tests on an injured knee with tests later confirming a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Worley, who had won the World Cup giant slalom at St-Moritz on Sunday for her eighth career victory, will miss the Winter Olympics in Sochi as a result.

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