SESTRIERE, Italy Overall World Cup leader Martina Ertl of Germany was disqualified from a World Cup Slalom on Wednesday for using skis which were too narrow.

Race organizers at Sestriere said Ertl's Skis were fractionally narrower under the boot than the six-centimeter minimum allowed under International Ski Federation (FIS) regulations.

Ertl, who has twice finished second in Slalom this season, was thrown out of the race after completing her first leg.

Her time of 51.51 seconds left her in 14th position, just over a second behind race leader Janica Kostelic of Croatia.

Ertl, like most of the women on the circuit, uses carver skis which have revolutionized the sport in recent years.

Carvers are shorter than traditional skis, wider at the tips and narrower under the boot. They are designed to allow skiers to turn more sharply at speed.

(Reuter)