Skier Nino Tsiklauri on podium in FIS giant slalom event

Georgian alpine skier Nino Tsiklauri has kicked off her new sporting season by claiming a podium finish at an International Ski Federation (FIS) competition in Italy on Monday.

Tsiklauri finished third in a Giant Slalom race within the Sci Club Aosta Trophy event in Pila, Italy.

The women's contest featured 82 competitors from six countries and was held in the alpine ski resort in the country's north-west on December 5.

Tsiklauri finished first in an FIS Giant Slalom race in Honokidaira, Japan this year. Photo from Nino Tsiklauri/Facebook.

Tsiklauri, 23, finished third in the race behind local favourites Valentina Eydallin and Giulia Paventa.

With the combined time of 2:00:22 from two runs, the Georgian was 1.44 seconds behind winner Eydallin.

Tsiklauri is scheduled to appear in further FIS events during the new ski season and will look to continue her recent run of successful results.

Earlier this year she won an FIS Giant Slalom competition in Honokidaira, Japan, after returning from injury. Last year she claimed bronze at another Giant Slalom event in Reiteralm, Austria.

The alpine skier represented Georgia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada and was flag bearer for the country at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

See Tsiklauri's competitive results and stats on the official FIS website here.