Austrians to thwart Janica

Kostelic is the defending Olympic champion in slalom and has picked up two medals already at the Turin Games with a gold in combined and a silver in super-G.

The 24-year-old from Zagreb heads the World Cup slalom standings and has an outstanding record in the technically demanding discipline.

She was the 2001 and 2003 overall and slalom World Cup champion and is the world champion in slalom having first won that title in 2003.

While she has complained of ill health throughout the Games - she skipped the downhill due to a high pulse rate - there has been no sign that her performances have been adversely affected.

It will take a top class run to beat Kostelic but there is no shortage of slalom skiers capable of delivering that one perfect race that can translate into a gold medal.

Austria's best hope is provided by Marlies Schild, silver medallist in combined on Saturday and second in the World Cup slalom standings.

Schild, whose boyfriend Benjamin Raich won gold for Austria in Monday's men's giant slalom, has been in excellent form this season, finishing on the podium in five World Cup slalom races - three of which she has won.

The exciting 19-year-old talent, Kathrin Zettel is Austria's second challenger - she finished fourth in combined where she suffered from her lack of downhill experience.

In her main event of slalom, Zettel's smooth movement has brought her three World Cup podium finishes this season.

The more experienced Nicole Hosp provides Austria's third hope of stopping Kostelic but the Croat will no doubt have a close eye on the performance of her Swedish rival Anja Paerson.

Paerson finished a disappointing 12th in super-G on Monday, after claiming bronze medals in combined and downhill, but slalom is her old speciality and she would love to get one over on the Croat.

Finland's Tanja Poutiainen, the 2005 World Cup slalom winner, has been out of sorts recently but has the ability to compete with Kostelic for gold.

The US's main hope in the event is Kristina Koznick who hopes to compete despite having only recently suffered damage to a knee ligament.