Soelden, Austria - Tanja Poutiainen pipped Kathrin Zettel by one hundredth of a second for victory in the alpine ski season-opener in which hosts Austria also had to swallow a likely season-ending knee injury from Nicole Hosp. Hosp, 25, fell halfway through the first run on the Soelden glacier. She was airlifted to an Innsbruck clinic where she underwent surgery later in the day.
The 2007 overall World Cup and giant slalom world champion Hosp is likely out for the season highlighted by the Vancouver Olympics in February. She also missed several weeks of action last season when she damaged her right knee.
"I fear the season is over," doctor Christian Hoser told the Austrian Press Agency (APA). "Niki told me she know that something bad had happened because she had so much pain."
There was also no luck for Austria in the race results as Finland's Poutiainen clinched her ninth career World Cup win in 2 minutes 24.96 seconds, from third place after the first run.
Zettel clocked 2:24.97 after one grave mistake in the second run and the first-run leader Denise Karbon of Italy faded to third in 2:25.28 minutes after leading until the final split.
"At last I managed to win here," said Poutiainen as she reversed her 2008 defeat against Zettel at the same place.
The men have their season-opening giant slalom in Soelden on Sunday.
