It was a case of better late than never for Benjamin Raich as the Austrian finally won his first ever speed event, a Super-G, in his 15th season on the circuit in Crans-Montana.

Three days before his 34th birthday, the Austrian added a 36th World Cup victory to his two Olympic golds, three world titles and 2006 overall crystal globe.

"Of course this is special. Not only because I had been looking for a Super-G win for a long time but also because I'm returning from injury and it was not easy," Raich, who suffered torn ligaments in his left knee last February, told reporters.

"I fought hard, I never lost hope. When you're a sportsman, a top-level skier, you don't have a right to just give up. You must keep the faith."

Raich, known as a giant slalom and slalom specialist, was the 2005 world championship bronze medallist in the discipline and had also finished on the World Cup podium seven times but victory had always eluded him - until Saturday.

Raich set the record straight in one minute 34.37 seconds.

Raich, one of the most successful skiers ever, was visibly delighted with the result as he had won only one race in the last two seasons and had missed last year's world championships through injury.

The fiance of slalom world champion Marlies Schild returned fresher and keener this season, eager to prove his career was not on a downward spiral.

Local hero Didier Cuche had to be content with third place, 0.36 behind Raich and 0.12 behind second-placed Frenchman Adrien Theaux.

Overall World Cup leader Marcel Hirscher retained top spot in the standings despite skipping the race to preserve his energy for Sunday's giant slalom.

Hirscher leads injured Croatian Ivica Kostelic by 12 points.

Third-placed Swiss Beat Feuz lost his chance to shake up the standings after finishing a lowly 10th.

"It's not at all what I had planned," said speed specialist Feuz.

"I just didn't know what to do on this soft snow."

Reuters