Schneider Wins 6th World Cup Skiing Race

MARIBOR, Yugoslavia — Vreni Schneider of Switzerland won her sixth World Cup race of the season today and became a clear favorite to dominate the World Alpine Skiing Championships at Vail, Colo., in 25 days.

While Schneider won a women’s slalom, her third of the season, and appears in top form for Jan. 29-Feb. 12 in Vail, American Tamara McKinney was third and also could be heard from at the world championships.

But Schneider, the 24-year-old double Olympic gold medalist who looks to be well on her way toward capturing the 1988-89 World Cup, was cautious not to accept premature laurels.

“I’m still not thinking of ultimate victory because there are still a lot of races left until the end of the season. I still remember last year’s injury,” she said.

Last year, when she captured the Olympic slalom and giant slalom titles, she led the World Cup standings until she had a bad spill in a race at Aspen, Colo., and tore ligaments in her left knee.

Second in today’s race, held in dense fog, was Austrian Monika Maierhofer, in 1:23.81.