23 December 2004 - 09:18 Maze wins giant slalom, Paerson takes WCup lead with second place finish Gerg wins super-G for second victory this season

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) _ Slovenia's Tina Maze upset the favorites Wednesday by winning a World Cup giant slalom, while reigning champion Anja Paerson regained the lead in the overall standings with a second-place finish. Maze, second after the opening round behind Paerson, delivered a smooth, clean second run down the sun-soaked Engiadina course to finish with a two-leg combined time of 2 minutes, 26.99 seconds. Maze had one previous World Cup victory, a giant slalom win in Soelden in 2002, which she shared in a three-way tie with Norway's Andrine Flemmen Austrian Nicole Hosp.

"That victory came a bit early," Maze said. "I didn't expect that and I didn't feel like I was the best. After that I had some bad times, ups and downs. After winning in Soelden, I didn't qualify for the second run in GS three times in a row. "I was in a rut. I needed time to get out. Now I feel strong and ready." Maze has also improved in super-G, finishing third in a race in Altenmark 10 days ago.

Paerson finished second with an aggregate time of 2:27.11, with Marie Jose Rienda Contreras of Spain third in 2:27.73. "Sure it's tougher this season," Paerson said. "Everyone is battling. Last year I was lucky, I had a good season, but this year it's hard to stay up there. Everybody's really fighting for it.

"But it's nice to have the red bib." Italy's Karen Putzer was fourth, .93 off the pace, while Tanja Poutiainen finished a disappointing fifth and lost the overall World Cup lead to Paerson. Poutiainen dropped from fourth after the opening leg and crossed the line 1.47 seconds behind Maze. The Finn had already lost ground on Paerson in Tuesday's super-G, which she was forced to sit out because of lower back pain. Paerson finished 13th in the super-G for 20 points. Paerson, who captured the overall title last season in addition to the giant slalom and slalom globes, overtook the Finn in the overall standings with 493 points. Poutiainen slipped to second on 486. Croatian Janica Kostelic, making a comeback after a year off due to illness and injury, crossed third in the opening run but crashed out in the second leg.  

22/12/2004 13:42

Gerg wins super-G for second victory this season 
 
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) _ German veteran Hilde Gerg recorded her 20th career World Cup victory by clinching a women's super-G on Tuesday, finally taming a course which humbled her repeatedly in the past. The 29-year-old, known as "Wilde Hilde" by German fans, tore down the 2,358-meter Engiadina course in 1 minute, 14.95 seconds, for her second victory this season and her first at the posh Swiss resort. American Lindsey Kildow had been leading with her time of 1:15.32, but dropped to second place after Gerg, starting 28th, surpassed her. Making a stunning comeback from injury, Germany's Maria Riesch completed the podium, crossing third in 1:15.40.

Riesch fell hard in practice in November and suffered bone splinters, forcing her to miss a month of competition. The Engiadina course, site of the 2003 world championships, had often foiled Gerg. At the worlds here, she finished a distant 20th in the super-G and a disappointing 14th in the downhill. In last year's downhill she was edged by Renate Goetschl, while inn 2000-01, she finished third.

"It's a big satisfaction to win my 20th World Cup victory here," Gerg said. "I've had such bad luck here in the past. It's a big win for me today. I defeated the best girls and I defeated the hill." Gerg, who also won the second of back-to-back downhills in Lake Louise, claimed the World Cup super-G titles in 1997 and 2002. Kildow, who won a downhill and was third in a super-G in Lake Louise, lost victory after taking too straight a line in the lower section. "Coming into the last section I made a few mistakes, I went too straight and lost speed," Kildow said. "For the most part my run was good expect that mistake. Barring that one mistake I would have been first place." Riesch was initially aiming to make her return in Val d'Isere, France, but the two downhills scheduled there for last weekend were canceled because of a snow storm.

However, she got valuable training _ and confidence _ there instead. "My first race back. It's a relief for me to succeed right away," said Riesch, an allrounder who will also race in Wednesday's giant slalom. "I attacked but made lots of mistakes so to finish third in such conditions is quite satisfying. "Coming into Val d'Isere I was unsure I was ready to come back. But there was no pain and I trained there and suddenly everything started to go really well. It's almost a miracle."

By ERICA BULMAN  
21/12/2004 13:07

 
World cup Leader

Paerson Anja
25.04.1981 (Tarnaby)
Ski: Salomon

  Paerson Anja  493
  Poutiainen Tanja  486
  Kostelic Janica  398
  Dorfmeister Michaela  336
  Gerg Hilde  336
  Kildow Lindsey C.  304
  Goetschl Renate  287
  Maze Tina  231
  Montillet Carole  203
  Koznick Kristina  183

Next Races

28.12.2004 Semmering (AUT) GS
29.12.2004 Bormio (ITA) DH
29.12.2004 Semmering (AUT) SL
08.01.2005 Chamonix (FRA) DH
08.01.2005 Berchtesgaden (GER) GS
09.01.2005 Chamonix (FRA) SL
09.01.2005 Berchtesgaden (GER) SL