Bansko, Bulgaria – Austrian Mario Matt earned his first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup win of the season Sunday as the action in Bansko turned to slalom. World Cup overall and slalom leader Ivica Kostelic did not finish after he straddled a gate, which opened slalom title door to Jean-Baptiste Grange of France who finished third behind Reinfried Herbst of Austria, who clinched the silver medal.nGrange is now only 36 points behind Kostelic in the overall slalom standings.

Nolan Kasper, of Warren, Vt., produced the best Audi FIS Alpine World Cup result on the flat course in Bansko with 10th, moving up from 16th after the first run. Giant slalom World Champion Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah, was 17th.

“It was sunny and the snow was a lot better than I thought it would be. I had a better start then I’ve had in the past because I was in the top 30 for today,” said Kasper. “It was a pretty easy hill so you really had to be gunning from the get-go. I just tried to make as little mistakes as possible and go fast.

“It would be awesome to make it to World Cup Finals,” Kasper acknowledged. “Right now I’m pretty close, but we have another race and you never know what’s going to happen.”

Canada’s Michael Janyk, of Whistler, British Columbia, came agonizingly close to the podium with a fifth-place finish. Janyk was lying fourth after a strong first run and started the second run well, but ended up fifth overall for his third top-5 result this season.

“I’m really, really happy with my skiing and my approach to the day,” said Janyk, 28. “The result is good and bad. It’s awesome to be top five and so frustrating to be just off the podium. It’s so clear in my mind what I need to do. I know I can be on the top of the podium.”

Janyk’s Canadian teammate, Julien Cousineau, of Lachute, Quebec, was 12th after the first run and looked like he was having a storming second leg when he straddled a gate. Patrick Biggs, of Orleans, Ontario, finished 22nd.

The men’s tour now moves to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia for a slalom and giant slalom. Ligety has won the GS in Kranjska Gora the last three consecutive years. The Kranjski Gora slalom, scheduled for March 6, is the only one remaining on the calendar prior to World Cup Finals.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2011 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Bansko, Bulgaria – Feb. 27, 2011
Slalom

1. Mario Matt, Austria, 1:50.35
2. Reinfried Herbst, Austria, 1:50.39
3. Jean-Baptiste Grange, France, 1:50.83