Rare hat-trick for Fenninger

Austria's Anna Fenninger celebrates on the podium after winning the women's giant slalom World Cup race in the Tyrolean ski resort of Lienz December 28, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Anna Fenninger has made such a habit of winning World Cup races on December 28 that the Austrian media call it 'Fenninger Day' and the 24-year-old chalked up a hat-trick of giant slalom victories on Saturday.

The girl wonder of Austrian skiing also won here in 2011 and on precisely the same day on home snow in Semmering a year ago.

Fenninger's triumph on Saturday represented her first World Cup victory of the season and her fifth overall. She clocked a combined time of two minutes 17 seconds to beat Swede Jessica Lindell-Vikarby by half a second.

"It's kind of funny that it's worked once again on December 28. It's so hard for me in giant slaloms that it makes me even happier," the 2011 super-combined world champion told reporters.

"I came here with good memories from the previous years and I tried to build on that. In the past I have often let myself be carried away by home races."

View galleryAustria's Fenninger celebrates after winning the …

Austria's Anna Fenninger celebrates after winning the women's giant slalom World Cup race in …

Fenninger is now second in the overall World Cup standings on 597 points, 12 behind Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather.

"I knew that during the Christmas break I would get the energy I needed," she said. "Those two days did me a hell of a lot of good.

"I've been close to that victory since the start of the winter...and yes, they should put that date in the calendar as a holiday."

Lindell-Vikarby is the clear leader in the giant slalom standings on 332 points, 110 ahead of compatriot Maria Pietilae-Holmner.