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Defago and Gisin score WC downhill wins

  • Story Highlights
  • Didier Defago and Dominique Gisin score World Cup wins in downhill events
  • Defago takes men's race in Kitzbuehel with Gisin winning in Cortina
  • In-form Swiss skiers were doubling up after victories last weekend
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(CNN) -- Didier Defago and Dominique Gisin gave Switzerland double cause for celebration with superb victories in World Cup downhills on Saturday.

Defago continued his superb recent form with another victory on a classic downhill course.

Defago continued his superb recent form with another victory on a classic downhill course.

Defago, winner on the classic Lauberhorn at Wengen last weekend, repeated the trick on the famous Streif course in Kitzbuehel.

Gisin, herself a winner at Zauchensee in Austria in the previous downhill on the women's circuit, claimed the honors at the Italian resort of Cortina.

Defago recorded one minute 56.09 seconds to hold off Michael Walchhofer of Austria by 0.17 seconds with Klaus Kroell completing the podium.

American ace Bode Miller, second to Defago at Wengen, finished tied for fourth with Didier Cuche of Switzerland and is still chasing his first World Cup win of the season.

Defago closes the gap on Walchhofer at the top of the downhill standings to 12 points.

Benjamin Raich of Austria finished joint 12th to remain top of the overall standings from Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway in second place and Defago moving up to third.

Gisin powered down the Olympic course at Cortina to win with a time of one minute 16.98 seconds from overall leader Lindsey Vonn of the United States.

Anja Paerson, who shared victory with Gisin last week, finished third.

Vonn saw her lead in the downhill standings cut to 14 points by the in-form Gisin.

This weekend's round of alpine skiing World Cup events are the penultimate before the world championships in Val d'Isere from February 3-15.

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