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"I was pretty relaxed after my first win here and I could go for it once more." — Renate Goetschl

Austria's Renate Goetschl is having her best season-start ever in Canada's Lake Louise: the 23-year-old combined World Champion celebrated her second win in 24 hours on the demanding "Olympic Course," beating Italy's Isolde Kostner once more.

Germany's Regina Haeusl, very fast in training earlier in the week, achieved her best downhill result in recent years with 3rd place. Three more Austrian skiers, including the Overall World Cup leader, Alexandra Meissnitzer (5th), finished behind the trio.

Another German, Martina Ertl, considered to be a top favorite for the Overall title, was 7th far ahead of rivals such as Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg who was only 38th. Janica Kostelic, 16, from Croatia had to be content with a far 42nd place.

Four US skiers scored points in that race placing among the top-30, but Megan Gerety, trained by her boyfriend Olympic Champion Tommy Moe, was hoping for better than a far 21st place (in training she placed once among the top-10).

The race conditions were not as good as the previous day; fog clouds floated in the middle of the course, forcing the race organizers and the jury to hold the race twice. This didn't prevent Goetschl from entering a prestigious group of top athletes who have won two downhills in two days. Among the list, some all-time greats such as Austria's Annemarie Moser-Proell, Michela Figini from Switzerland and Germany's Katja Seizinger, who won six speed events in a row last winter including three at Lake Louise. Seizinger is still recovering from knee injuries suffered after a tough crash this spring.

Renate Goetschl was not able to understand or explain her recent high form. She has only won two downhills in the last two seasons yet her success in the combined at the 1997 Ski World Championships and her downhill World Cup title in 1997 prove that she has the quality to dominate that discipline this year.

"I was pretty relaxed after my first win here and I could go for it once more," she said at the finish. "I could not have dreamt of a better season start. In the past years I had to wait a long time before winning a downhill. This is great!"

Goetschl placed 5th in Nagano in the super-G but crashed in the downhill while fighting for her first Olympic medal at Hakuba. It was a tough moment for her after a consistent season-start with several top-3 finishes. With five skiers among the top 5, the Austrian women imitate their male counterparts who dominate ski racing as well. So far, the Austrian women have clinched three races out of five.

"Apparently they must have learned from the men this summer—they are really determined this winter," said an impressed Isolde Kostner. The Italian had to wait a long time to start at the top of the mountain because of the delay. "I hope to ski as well in tomorrow's super-G".

The next downhill will take place in three weeks in Veysonnaz, Switzerland.