Soccer-Paris wins Kitzbuehel downhill after Feuz crashes

VIENNA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Italian Dominik Paris won the downhill at Kitzbuehel, one of the sport's most prestigious events, for the second time on Saturday after Switzerland's Beat Feuz crashed in sight of victory.

Feuz was fastest all the way down, had beaten Paris' final intermediate time and was on course to win when he dramatically lost control on the final traverse and tumbled into the safety nets.

The Swiss escaped unhurt.

Surprise French pair Valentin Giraud Moin and Johan Clarey were second and third in a gripping race, staged on an icy course and in dazzling sunshine, where only 0.33 seconds separated the top three.

Clarey also bettered Paris' final intermediate time but lost precious seconds at the end of the course.

Paris, 27, previously won the race on the Hahnenkamm mountain in 2013 and his compatriot Peter Fill won last year.

Austria's Marcel Hirscher, who did not race on Saturday, stayed top of the overall World Cup standings with 980 points, ahead of Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen with 692 and Frenchman Alexis Pinturault with 655. All three will take part in Sunday's slalom.

Paris went top of the standings for the downhill category over Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, who has undergone knee surgery. (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Pritha Sarkar)