Kristina Koznick (Eagan, MN) and Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO) tied for ninth Wednesday in a World Cup slalom while Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY) had the third-fastest final run and jumped into 13th place. Austrian Nicole Hosp, the first-run leader, won in 1:37.97 as the women raced on an icy, steep pitch for the second straight day.

It was the fourth straight top-3 for Hosp, who earned the second World Cup win of her career. World Cup leader Anja Paerson of Sweden was second in 1:38.26 and Marlies Schild, another Austrian, completed the podium (1:38.50).

Schleper and Koznick were timed in 1:39.95; Schleper was sixth on the first run and Koznick seventh with Stiegler 27th. Stiegler took advantage of a nearly clean course on her second run and tore through the gates to advance 14 spots with a total time of 1:40.19 in the 30-degree weather.

U.S. women's slalom/GS Head Coach Wolfi Erharter, who set the second course, said, "Resi was hungry. She really attacked. Two top-10s and a 13th are not bad but, of course, the girls want more. They know they're capable of more, and it will come. For sure, Sarah and Kristina know they're capable of top five, top three, and Resi wants that, too."

He said the group would take two days off, train for a couple of days before the Christmas break and then prepare for the GS and slalom Dec. 27-28 in Lienz, Austria. "A little down time, some training and they will recharge their [mental] batteries, and be ready for Lienz," he said.

The race, following a slalom Tuesday that had been moved from the Czech Republic because of poor conditions, had been moved to Madonna because of poor snow in Vratna, Slovakia, too. The next women's World Cup races are a downhill and super G over the weekend in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

WOMEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
Slalom-2 (Moved from Vratna, SVK)

1. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 1:37.97
2. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 1:38.26
3. Marlies Schild, Austria, 1:38.50
4. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 1:39.04
5. Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer, Germany, 1:39.28

U.S. skiers

9T. Kristina Koznick, Eagan, Minn., and Sarah Schleper, Vail, Colo., 1:39.95 each
13. Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, Wyo., 1:40.19

Did not qualify for 2nd run: Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, Calif.; Kaylin Richardson, Edina, Minn.; Jessica Kelley, Starksboro, Vt.

— Courtesy of US Ski Team