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Pirovano doubles up with second Val di Fassa downhill win / Photo: Andreas SOLARO - AFP
Pirovano doubles up with second Val di Fassa downhill win
Italian skier Laura Pirovano, winless in World Cup racing before triumphing in Friday's downhill at Val di Fassa, backed it up by taking a second victory in Saturday's downhill in the Dolomites.
As on Friday, the 28‑year‑old Pirovano edged her nearest rival by just 0.01 seconds - this time Austria's Cornelia Huetter - while Switzerland's Corinne Suter finished third, 0.05sec behind.
Pirovano, who had until this week never finished on a World Cup podium, moved into first place in the World Cup downhill standings, a spot previously held by American Lindsey Vonn, who was seriously injured in a crash at last month's Winter Olympics.
Ahead of the final downhill of the season, at the end of March in Norway, Pirovano leads with 436 points. Germany's Emma Aicher - 12th on the day, 1.06 seconds off the pace - moved above Vonn but is 28 points behind Pirovano in the race for the crystal globe.
Aicher missed an opportunity to put pressure on American Mikaela Shiffrin, the overall World Cup leader who does not compete in downhills.
Shiffrin still has a lead of more than 100 points going into the super-G that will close out the Val di Fassa stop on Sunday, a race she may take part in.
J.Hall--SMC
