Sawt Falasteen - Italy's Casse claims first World Cup win in Val Gardena super-G

The 34-year-old Italian pipped Jared Goldberg by just 0.01sec to delight home supporters in the Dolomites, where snowfall and wind made conditions tricky for the racers.

Goldberg's rapid run, which looked like making the American Friday's winner until the moment he crossed the line, dropped reigning discipline and overall champion Marco Odermatt down to third, 0.43sec off the pace.

Casse had previously only earned three World Cup podiums in his long career but started the men's Christmas run of Italian races in great style.

The win moved him up to second in the super-G standings, 45 points behind Odermatt who has never won on the Saslong piste but closed in on leader Henrik Kristoffersen in the overall World Cup standings.

Odermatt is 50 points behind two-time world champion Kristoffersen who did not compete on Friday.

On Saturday Odermatt will race in a downhill on the same slope before the men's World Cup moves across the Dolomites to Alta Badia, where a giant slalom and slalom will be held on Sunday and Monday.

Bormio will then host a downhill on January 28 before the third super-G of the season the following day.

M.Qasim--SF-PST