Italian ski star Dominik Paris shines in tight World Cup super-G for second win in three days

KVITFJELL, Norway (AP) — After just one World Cup race win in three years for Dominik Paris, the Italian star made it two in three days Sunday.

Paris was the only racer to break clear in a super-G of tight margins, on a course shortened by fog on the mountain, and added to his downhill victory Friday.

Take Paris out of Sunday’s race and the top 30 including six of the United States team all would have been within one second and James Crawford, the 2023 world champion from Canada, would have won.

Paris was there, however, as the standout racer 0.38 faster than Crawford and 0.47 clear of third-placed Miha Hrobat.

“The feeling was amazing," the 35-year-old Paris said. "Seeing the green light in the finish, that’s nice.”

The German-speaking Italian with the French-sounding family name is most at home on the Norwegian slope that staged the 1994 Olympics races.

He now has six of his 24 career World Cup wins at Kvitfjell, where he also completed a weekend double in downhill and super-G in 2019, and won a downhill in March 2022.

“It’s a good hill for me but I didn’t know it was like this. It’s more than I expected,” Paris said.

That 2019 season was a career peak for Paris. He won a career-best seven World Cup races, plus his only gold medal — in super-G at the 2019 worlds — and his only World Cup crystal trophy, for the season-long super-G title. That success came after spending the summer recording an album as a singer in a heavy metal band, Rise of Voltage.

Marco Odermatt placed fourth, 0.01 behind Hrobat, though his season-long super-G title was confirmed in midweek when his closest challenger, Paris’s teammate Mattia Casse, was injured crashing in a training run for the downhill.

It was the first time in 17 men's speed races this season, in the World Cup or world championships, that no Swiss skier was on the podium.

“It’s quite an achievement, I think. They are really, really good this year,” said Hrobat, who twice was third in downhills when beaten by two Swiss racers.

Odermatt earned 50 race points Sunday and has an unbeatable lead of 210 in the super-G standings before the last race March 23 at Sun Valley, Idaho. It is his third straight super-G title.

The Swiss superstar's fourth straight overall World Cup title also is assured with a 570-point lead over Henrik Kristoffersen and just six races left. Though 600 points can be won, Kristoffersen does not race in downhill or super-G.

Kristoffersen will be favored to pick up points next weekend when the men’s World Cup circuit stays in Norway for a giant slalom and slalom at nearby Hafjell.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Second placed Canada's James Crawford, celebrates with the team after an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Third placed Slovenia's Miha Hrobat celebrates after an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

The winner Italy's Dominik Paris celebrates after an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

The winner Italy's Dominik Paris celebrates after an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super G race, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Slovenia's Miha Hrobat reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Canada's James Crawford reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Italy's Dominik Paris reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Canada's James Crawford speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super G race, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Italy's Dominik Paris speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super G race, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Italy's Dominik Paris reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)