Unstoppable Rocca

Rocca, the most successful Italian slalom specialist in history behind Alberto Tomba with 10 wins, was again impeccable on the Kuonisbaergli piste, dominating the first leg before securing victory in the afternoon in a combined time of one minute 39.14 seconds.

American Ted Ligety, the season's most improved skier in the discipline, scored his best World Cup result with second place, 0.60 seconds behind Rocca.

The 21-year-old skier from Park City had finished third twice this season and might have threatened Rocca without a big mistake near the finish.

Austria's Benjamin Raich, the slalom world champion, was third in 1:39.92, his second podium placing in the event this season. Raich solidly leads the World Cup standings thanks to his victory in the giant slalom here on Saturday.

"It's a big moment for me to win on the piste of the kings," said Rocca, 30, who has three more slaloms before the Olympics at home in Turin to confirm his supremacy.

On Sunday, he found himself in the unusual situation of having to defend a first-leg lead -- Raich had dominated the first runs in the previous three slaloms -- and he was up to the challenge with a clean delivery in the second leg.

"Four slaloms in a row, it's a dream and a reward. I worked hard to acquire the consistency that has eluded me in the past," Rocca said.

Asked if he was aiming to emulate Tomba, who won seven slaloms in succession in 1994, Rocca said: "There are three great slaloms ahead but I must above all think about winning the slalom World Cup."

Tomba, a triple Olympic champion, won 35 World Cup slaloms among 50 career victories.

Next month's Winter Olympics will be another important goal for Rocca but the Italian said he was not feeling any pressure about competing on home snow. "The amount of confidence increases with each win," he said.

Competition is fierce in the American camp for Olympic places and Ligety confirmed he could be the man to watch in Turin with his third podium placing of the season.

He almost matched Rocca's pace in the first run, losing only 0.11 seconds, and was impressively brash and bold in the second until a big mistake shortly before the steep final stretch probably cost him victory.

"It's a great day for me. Maybe I might have beaten Giorgio without the fault. Maybe I can beat him one day, we'll see how it goes," he said.

"This season, I was looking for one podium and I already have three. Now I know I can win, I just need to be able to do two great runs," he added.

It was an almost perfect weekend for Raich, who now comfortably leads the World Cup standings on 606 points.

"I'm not too satisfied with third place for you always ski to win, but with two podiums over the weekend I cannot complain," said the Austrian, looking forward to slaloms in Wengen, Kitzbuehel and Schladming for a chance to beat Rocca.

It was another lacklustre weekend for Bode Miller, the man who dominated last season.

The American's slalom jinx continued and he lasted only three gates in the first leg on Sunday before bidding farewell to the Swiss resort.

The previous day, he had to be content with a modest 14th place in the giant slalom while a controversial interview with American television network CBS, to be broadcast on Sunday, seemed to be weighing on his nerves.

CBS said in a media release that Miller had admitted in the interview to skiing while drunk. The American racer told reporters in Adelboden, however, that he had acknowledged only that he had raced with a hangover the morning after celebrating last season's overall World Cup title.

The men's World Cup continues with a slalom, a downhill and a combined event in Wengen next weekend.