Riesch edges out Vonn to keep overall World Cup race alive

GERMANY'S Maria Riesch continued her superb form to hand best friend and Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn only her second downhill defeat of the season.

ON SONG: Double Olympic champion Maria Riesch inflicts a second defeat on Lindsey Vonn to keep overall World Cup race alive in Garmisch (Getty Images)

Riesch, who clinched slalom and super combined gold at Vancouver 2010 last month, romped home in 1:34.82 minutes, 0.48 seconds faster than Vonn, to ensure she remains with an outside chance of scooping the overall FIS World Cup title.

American Vonn, who has already wrapped up the World Cup downhill crown, courtesy of her six wins from the eight events, can still be caught in her pursuit for a third consecutive World Cup title but still holds a lead of 235 points with three races remaining.

Indeed, Vonn has already won the super-G, super combined and downhill World Cup titles this year and is on the brink of another overall title, with just super-G, slalom and giant slalom events remaining.

In her hometown of Garmisch however, Riesch edged out Vonn in the downhill, the second time she has done so this season, to capture her third World Cup win of the season.

Vonn and Riesch have been the two dominant forces in women's alpine skiing this season with the duo collecting three of the five Olympic medals on offer in Vancouver between them.

Riesch holds a slender lead in the slalom standings and should she keep Austria's Kathrin Zettel at bay in Garmisch, she and Vonn will scoop victory in four of the five World Cup disciplines.