Sweden's Sara Hector wins giant slalom at Kranjska Gora

Olympic champion Sara Hector won her second women's World Cup giant slalom of the season on Saturday as Italian skier Federica Brignone fell in the first run at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

Hector, who was fastest in the first run, finished 1.42 seconds ahead of the 18-year-old Lara Colturi of Albania, to move atop both the GS and overall standings.

The 34-year-old Brignone's hopes of extending her lead in the GS standings ended when she fell in her first race since becoming the oldest race winner in women's World Cup history at Semmering in Austria last weekend.

Hector, who won the second race of the season in Killington in November, was second in Semmering. She leads the GS standings with 296 points after four races, 96 ahead of Brignone, while she moved top of the overall leaderboard on 407 points, 24 ahead of Switzerland's Camille Rast.

WATCH | Sara Hector dominant in giant slalom victory:

Sara Hector dominant in Kranjska Gora GS victory

In the absence of the injured Mikaela Shiffrin, AJ Hurt was the leading American racer in Kranjska Gora, 2.73 behind Hector in 10th, ahead of teammate Nina O'Brien.

Canada's Val Grenier finished 38th in the first run and did not qualify for the second.

Lindsey Vonn, who made her return to World Cup racing in Switzerland on Dec. 21 after nearly six years of retirement, only competes in the speed events of downhill and super-G. She's due to race again next weekend in St. Anton, Austria.