Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden began what may...

Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden began what may be his last year as a ski racer by scoring an unprecedented 84th World Cup victory in the opening slalom of the season.

Stenmark, 30, had an aggregate time of 1:51.19 for the two races at Sestriere, Italy, edging teammate Jonas Nilsson by two-hundredths of a second.

Stenmark called the victory a pleasant surprise.

“I did not train too much in slalom before this race, and I still believe I am better in giant slalom,� he said. “However, when you win, you don’t think of retirement.�

The victory moved Stenmark into sixth place in the overall World Cup standings with 25 points. Peter Mueller of Switzerland leads with 40 points. Italy’s Richard Pramotton finished third in 1:51.49, and Yugoslavia’s Bojan Krizaj, who led after the first leg, was fourth in 1:51.51.