SOELDEN, Austria (AFP) - Finland's Tanja Poutianen won the season's first World Cup giant slalom race here on Saturday with an over-all time of 2mins 24.96seconds.

The 29-year-old, who was last season's giant slalom champion, claimed victory by the slimmest of margins finishing just 0.01sec ahead of Austria's Kathrin Zettel over the two runs.

Italy's Denise Karbon finished third 0.32secs behind, while America's Lindsey Vonn, who has won both overall World Cup titles in the last two seasons, finished a disappointing ninth overall.

"It is a dream, I knew I had the potential to ski at a very good level here," said Poutianen who was 12th after the first run.

"After my first run, I didn't really think about victory. It is a great start to the season."

Karbon had been in contention on her second run, but the Italian lost time on the lower section of the course to finish third.

But there was bad news for Zettel's Austrian team-mate Nicole Hosp who had to be flown to hospital by helicopter after tearing her cruciate ligament on the first run, which looks set to end her season on the winter's opening race.

The 25-year-old Austrian champion, who was overall World Cup winner in 2007, was expected to have an operation in Innsbruck on Saturday.

"I fell on my back and my knee turned. I felt a sharp pain," she told Austrian news agency APA.