ST. ANTON, Austria Germany's Martina Ertl defied the skeptics among her own coaches to claim her first major title with a gold medal in the women's combined.

Only five weeks after tearing right knee ligaments and injuring her shinbone in a Giant Slalom crash in Semmering, Ertl's place at the world championships had been in doubt.

"I don't know how I managed such a quick comeback. I didn't know if I would be able to start here until a few days ago," she said. "I still have to come to terms with what has happened. This is like a dream come true".

Ertl, who had been leading the overall World Cup standings before the accident, spent three weeks in rehabilitation before returning to the slopes.

The 27-year-old who took combined silver at the 1998 Nagano Olympics had originally planned to race only in Slalom and Giant Slalom at St. Anton.

"My coaches were very skeptical when I said I also wanted to compete in the combined because they were afraid about the downhill leg," she said.

(Reuter)