Heinzer’s Win Puts Him Atop Ski Standings

SANTA CRISTINA, Italy — Franz Heinzer of Switzerland won a World Cup men’s downhill today and climbed to the top of the early season standings.

Berni Huber of Germany was a surprising second in the downhill.

It was the fifth World Cup victory for Heinzer, who sped down the 3,138-meter Saslonch course in two minutes, 0.21 seconds.

Heinzer had second-place finishes earlier this season in the Val d’Isere downhill and the Valloire super-giant slalom. After six races, he leads the overall World Cup standings with 65 points.

Huber, 23, skied his best downhill ever and finished 0.36 seconds behind the winner. His previous best was a seventh-place finish in Cortina last season.

Norwegian Atle Skaardal edged teammate Lasse Arnesen for third place. Skaardal, who had suffered a bad spill in the opening downhill of the season in Val d’Isere, was timed in 2:00.64.

Tommy Moe of Palmer, Alaska, was the top U.S. finisher, in 13th place, 1.14 seconds slower than Heinzer.

Another American, A. J. Kitt of Rochester, N.Y., placed 15th in a tie with Canadian Brian Stemmle.

Both had 2:01.57 and received one point for the overall standings.

Austrian veteran Leonard Stock, surprise winner in the downhill at Val d’Isere last Saturday, lagged 35th, with a gap of 2.61 seconds.

Another downhill will be raced Saturday on the same course.