Riesch wins super-combined skiing

Germany's Maria Riesch won the women's World Cup super-combined event here on Friday to add to her slalom title at last week's world championships.

"I have a really special feeling for Tarviso, where I won a gold medal at the junior world championships in 2002," Riesch said.

"I did a good downhill and a really good slalom. It will be difficult tomorrow (Saturday) to make the podium again in the downhill, but I'll give it everything."

Riesch, who timed two minutes 18.57sec, beat home Lindsey Vonn of the United States who had taken the honours in the morning's downhill, by 49 hundredths of a second.

Austria's Kathrin Zettel took third.

In finishing second here Vonn will have to wait until Saturday's downhill for her next chance of becoming the most successful American skiier in World Cup history.

She currently shares the record of 18 wins with 1980s star Tamara McKinney.

"I would obviously prefer to win, but the most important thing is not to lose too many points in the overall standings," Vonn said.

"On that basis, second is good enough. Now I'll try to win the downhill."

Sweden's Anja Parson came in fifth, which was sufficient to see her take the super-combined World Cup title for 2008-2009.

"The cup was my goal and I am happy to have achieved it," she said.

"I made a big mistake at the top of the downhill but I made up for it in the slalom. Tomorrow I'll set off hoping for a great downhill."