Janica Kostelic makes history with World Cup super-G win

Kostelic bests Bent in women's downhill. Croatia's Janica Kostelic claimed her first World Cup super-G victory on Sunday to become the first woman with wins in six different disciplines on the skiing circuit.

Kostelic conquered the course in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, in one minute 9.41 seconds. She finished .10 seconds ahead of Austrians Michaela Dorfmeister and Alexandra Meissnitzer, this season's top two super-G racers who tied for second place. Allison Forsyth of Nanaimo, B.C., tied for 17th in a time of 1:10.46. Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., was 25th. Kostelic' previous best result in the super-G was in 2002 when she won Olympic silver and was second in Aspen. "It's funny. I feel like laughing, like crying – it was my goal," said Kostelic, one of the favourites for the upcoming Torino Games. "It's the dream of all skiers to win every discipline."

It's been an amazing three-week period for the 24-year-old, who won three gold medals at both the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and last year's world championships. Kostelic won her first World Cup downhill race on Saturday and her first giant slalom on the tour three weeks ago.

She now has 24 World Cup victories, including wins in all five main disciplines: the giant slalom, downhill, slalom, super-G and combined. Only two other have accomplished that feat: Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg and Austria's Petra Kronberger.

Unlike Wiberg and Kronberger, however, Kostelic also has a victory in the new super-combi race. She won the first-ever race in the new discipline last February in San Sicario, Italy.

With her victory on Sunday, Kostelic tops this season's overall standings with 982 points. Dorfmeister is in second with 730. Sweden's Anja Paerson is third at 685.

Despite her brilliant form as of late, Kostelic isn't taking gold-medal success in Turin for granted.

"It's hard to say. I'm in good form now, but I want to concentrate on the World Cup," Kostelic said. "We'll see at the Olympics."

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