Summary Carlo Janka ended a four-year winless drought with victory in a World Cup super-combined event
WENGEN, Switzerland: (AP) - Carlo Janka ended a four-year winless drought with victory in a World Cup super-combined event on Friday in front of his home Swiss crowd.
The former Olympic, world and overall World Cup champion easily defended his first-run downhill lead in the afternoon slalom to beat Victor Muffat-Jeandat of France by 1.31 seconds.
Janka punched the air with his raised right fist on crossing the finish line a rare show of delight for a skier noted for keeping his emotions in check.
Ivica Kostelic of Croatia was third, trailing 1.38 behind Janka s combined two-run time of 2 minutes, 29.31 seconds.
Ted Ligety of the United States was fifth, 1.64 back, one month before defending his world championships gold medal in super-combined at Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Janka s 10th career World Cup win was his first since March 2011, in giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
If the 28-year-old Janka s comeback performance was a surprise to some, the venue should not have been.
His only podium finish in his barren spell was a third in this race two years ago. He has also won the classic Wengen downhill and a super-combined in previous seasons here.
Janka shaped as a star of the sport in a stellar 14-month spell starting at the 2009 world championships in Val d Isere, France, where he won giant slalom gold.
He followed up the next season by sweeping a three-race weekend at Beaver Creek, winning the Wengen downhill, taking Olympic gold in GS and clinching the first overall World Cup title for a Swiss racer in 18 years.
