1.   A lively local crowd, joined by many from neighboring Croatia, watched as their two candidates for podium places battled it out on the hill.

2.   A quick look at the races in a sport where podium places are decided by hundredths of a second.

3.   Carlos Checa and Tohru Ukawa left the track as they dueled for third on the final bend but the Spaniard got back on track to clinch a podium place.

4.   German women have taken all three podium places in three of four World Cup races so far held this season.

5.   Hodgson, on a Ducati, finished fourth after battling for a podium place with Edwards and Haga throughout the two last laps.

6.   Hoellwarth also issued a warning, saying that although the win was out of his reach, he still wanted a podium place.

7.   If Hautamaeki puts in a top jump on Sunday, he has a good chance of an overall podium place.

8.   Last year, she posted top-five finishes five times in the giant slalom, including two podium places.

9.   The Bogota-born finished second to Schumacher in Spain last year in what was his first podium place.

10.   Trinkl came back onto the circuit in January after injury and still made a string of podium downhill places.