Kostelic Very Doubtful For Men`s Super-G

Overall World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic is extremely doubtful for Wednesday's men's super-G at the Alpine skiing world championships because of back pain, a Croatian Federation spokesman said on Tuesday.

"It is very unlikely that he will compete but we have left him in the race in case of a miracle or, maybe, a postponement," the spokesman, Vedran Pavlek, told Reuters.

Kostelic, a world slalom champion in 2003, had been planning to enter all five events here but sustained a back injury in a slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, on Sunday.

The 29-year-old all-rounder might consider also missing Saturday's world championship downhill to concentrate on Monday's super-combined event, Pavlek said.

"The super-combined is now his main goal," Pavlek said, adding that a medical team from Zagreb were on their way to the French Alpine resort to try to help the skier recover in time.