Leader Janka steps closer to ski trophy

GARMISCH, Germany (AFP) - Switzerland's Carlo Janka took one step closer to the overall World Cup season's title on Friday by setting the fastest time on the first run of the men's giant slalom.

The 23-year-old is battling Austria's Benjamin Raich for the Crystal Globe and is top of the World Cup standings on 1097 points with slalom-specialist Raich second on 1059 with Swiss Didier Cuche third on 907.

Janka was the fastest down the Kandahar course, which will host next year's World Championships, in a time of 1min 8.43sec with Italy's Davide Simoncelli at 0.17sec and Ted Ligety of the United States third at 0.28sec.

Cuche was sixth at 0.73sec and Raich was 11th at 1.33sec on the first run.

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, who won a Super-G gold, downhill silver and giant slalom bronze at the Vancouver Olympic Games and is fourth in the overall standings on 883 points, was one of the few casualties who crashed out.

Having won the men's downhill on Wednesday, Janko will strengthen his position if he wins the giant slalom before the mens's slalom - Raich's strongest discipline - on Saturday.

The giant slalom's second run starts at 1200 local time (1100 GMT).