Alpine skiing: Aamodt piles on the pressure

The Austrian veteran Thomas Stangassinger wrapped up the men's slalom World Cup title with a win at Sierra Nevada, in Spain, yesterday, while Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt stepped up the fight for the overall crown. Austria's Hermann Maier, the defending overall World Cup champion, saw his hopes finally end when he finished the final slalom of the season 16th and out of the points. That left a two-way Norwegian fight for the overall crown, with Lasse Kjus leading Aamodt by a mere 32 points. The Austrian veteran Anita Wachter won the final World Cup women's giant slalom race of the season to leave her second in the standings behind the overall winner, her compatriot Alexandra Meissnitzer. Meissnitzer's eighth place was enough to make certain of the title.