Italian Bests Champ

Sun., Jan. 19, 1997

Compiled From Wire Services

Kristian Ghedina defeated Luc Alphand for his third victory of the season, speeding down the sun-drenched 2.6-mile Lauberhorn at Wengen, Switzerland, in a record time of 2 minutes, 24.23 seconds.

The 27-year-old Italian, who also won here two years ago, edged the Frenchman, the reigning World Cup downhill champion, by 13-hundredths of a second. Alphand was timed in 2:24.36, followed by Austria’s Fritz Strobl in 2:24.62.

Two weeks before the world championships, Deborah Compagnoni of Italy, the reigning Olympic and world champion, looks unbeatable, at least in the giant slalom. She sped through 45 gates on the icy Nordhang course at Zwiesel, Germany, for the fastest time in the second run, winning the race by nearly a second for back-to-back wins.

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Italian Bests Champ

Jesse Tinsley

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