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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
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Compagnoni wins 2nd straight Olympic giant slalom title
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9:30- Start
Deborah Compagnoni of Italy claimed her second straight Olympic women's giant slalom title and third overall Olympic gold medal Friday with a convincing victory at the 18th Winter Games in central Japan.
The 27-year-old Compagnoni, who won the slalom silver medal Thursday, clocked 1 minute, 18.94 second and 1:31.65 for the fastest times in each of the two runs down the Mt. Higashidate course for a winning total of 2:50.59.
The margin of victory for Compagnoni, last season's World Cup giant slalom winner and Olympic super G champion at the 1992 Albertville Winter Games in France, was a whopping 1.80 seconds.
''I had already won one medal so I was relaxed,'' Compagnoni said. ''I could see this morning that it was a difficult piste and I was very concentrated for the second run. I think it was my best race.''
Austrian Alexandra Meissnitzer, the bronze medalist in the super G event last week, also won her second medal of the Nagano Games -- this time a silver behind Compagnoni with a combined time of 2:52.39.
Katja Seizinger of Germany, the winner of two gold medals in the downhill and Alpine combined events earlier this week, added a little more sparkle to her successful career as an all-around Alpine skier with the bronze medal in 2:52.61.
The 25-year-old, born in the mid-German municipality of Datteln remote from the mountains, also won the downhill gold and slalom bronze four years ago in Lillehammer in addition to the bronze medal for super G at the 1992 Albertville Olympics.
Fellow German Martina Ertl, the silver medal finisher in 1994, this time missed the podium as she took fourth, ahead of Sophie Lefranc of France, who stood in second place after the first round of skiing at the Shiga Kogen highlands.
Kazuko Ikeda of host Japan finished in 25th place while countrywomen Kumiko Kashiwagi took 27th and Junko Yamakawa was 29th after 34 athletes completed both runs. (Kyodo News)
Final results of Alpine skiing women's giant slalom Friday in the 18th Olympic Winter Games at Mt. Higashidate, Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture:
1. Deborah Compagnoni, Italy 2 minutes, 50.59 seconds (first run 1:18.94, second run 1:31.65)
2. Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria 2:52.39 (1:20.13, 1:32.26)
3. Katja Seizinger, Germany 2:52.61 (1:20.19, 1:32.42)
4. Martina Ertl, Germany 2:52.72 (1:20.38, 1:32.34)
5. Sophie Lefranc, France 2:53.27 (1:19.88, 1:33.39)
6. Heidi Zurbriggen, Switzerland 2:53.61 (1:20.31, 1:33.30)
7. Anna Ottosson, Sweden 2:53.81 (1:20.48, 1:33.33)
8. Sabina Panzanini, Italy 2:54.09 (1:20.97, 1:33.12)
9. Birgit Heeb, Liechtenstein 2:54.70 (1:21.27, 1:33.43)
10. Andrine Flemmen, Norway 2:54.94 (1:20.04, 1:34.90)
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25. Kazuko Ikeda, Japan 3:00.71 (1:23.06, 1:37.65)
27. Kumiko Kashiwagi, Japan 3:01.91 (1:26.33, 1:35.58)
29. Junko Yamakawa, Japan 3:03.95 (1:24.93, 1:39.02)
Yulia Krygina, Kazakstan Did not finish
Noriyo Hiroi, Japan Did not finish
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun