Whether it was steep or flat, Anja Paerson just kept on picking up time.
The defending World Cup giant slalom champion won her first race of the season Friday and did it with some panache, claiming her specialty event by the wide margin of 1.42 seconds.
PHOTO: AFP
Instead of slowing on the flatter section of C.B.'s Run that claimed much of the competition, Paerson extended her lead for an easy first-place finish in the second race of the women's World Cup season.
"I don't know. It's just in me. I don't train any special flats training," said the 22-year-old skier from Sweden. "I just go and I don't think. I just let my skis run. I cannot tell you why I'm the fastest one. I don't know what I'm doing right."
Whatever it was worked Friday as Paerson won her 12th World Cup race and fourth in GS. Paerson also has eight World Cup wins in the slalom, which she will compete in Saturday.
Paerson, also the gold medalist in last season's world championship, led by 0.28 seconds after the opening run, then left everybody behind in the afternoon. Paerson finished with runs of 1:12.83 and 1:14.31 for a combined 2:27.14, well ahead of Austrian Nicole Hosp's second-place time of 2:28.56.
"Today, OK I won with over a second, but that was my second run," Paerson said. "I did a really good second run. I don't think you can expect me to win with those margins this year,"
Hosp had a scary crash in the season opener last month in Soelden, Austria, but came out with only bruises. She was third after the first run Friday, then faded slightly in the second but still finished ahead of all but Paerson.
"I feel very well. I don't have any pain," Hosp said. "Today, it was very good for me."
Denise Karbon of Italy was third (2:28.65) and Sara Schleper was the top American, finishing ninth (2:29.28).
Paerson was the last skier to go in and came up with the second-best time of the second runs. She made a wide, sweeping turn at the finish and backed into the barrier before pumping her right fist when she saw the whopping time difference.
Paerson, who won the Olympic silver medal in GS and the slalom bronze in 2002, finished third in the opening event last month in Soelden. She was the seventh skier to start Friday and took an early lead that held up through the first run.
Maria Jose Rienda Contreras of Spain had the top second run of the day at 1:14.03 and held the lead for much of the afternoon until Sweden's Anna Ottosson briefly claimed it as the top finishers from the morning completed their day.
Schleper, who finished sixth at Park City a year ago, got her second top-10 finish of the season. She was seventh in Soelden.
"I'm just trying to build momentum here. If I'm consistent in the top 10 I know those podiums are going to come," Schleper said. "It's just a matter being consistent up here with the best."
Jonas Vingegaard on Tuesday claimed the overall Vuelta a Espana lead while Jay Vine earned the stage 10 victory for his second triumph of the race. Two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard overhauled Torstein Traen’s lead to head the general classification by 26 seconds from the Norwegian, with Joao Almeida third and trailing the Dane by 38 seconds. Vine put in an unmatchable performance on the final climb to finish ahead of Spanish Movistar riders Pablo Castrillo and Javier Romo. “Back in red, I’m happy with it, it’s a beautiful jersey,” Vingegaard said. “I’m happy with how the day went,
RIVALRY: Carlos Alcaraz lost his previous two matches against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, in the Australian Open quarter-finals this year and Paris Olympics final last year Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday dazzled at the US Open to make the semi-finals before Novak Djokovic of Serbia danced his way through to book a New York showdown with the Spaniard that would mark the latest chapter in their generational rivalry. Former champion Alcaraz produced yet another entertaining display at Flushing Meadows to dismantle 20th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 at a sunbathed Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing his place in the last four without dropping a set this year. “Sometimes I play a shot that I should not play in that moment, but it’s the way I love
The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up a brief visit to Brazil on Friday with a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but despite the defeat, the team outshone their divisional rivals in the fight for the hearts and minds of Brazilian fans. In Sao Paulo for just the second-ever NFL game in the city, Chiefs players — especially quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — were treated as major celebrities throughout their stay, turning Corinthians Arena into a scene reminiscent of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Before kickoff, crowds of fans gathered around the Chiefs’ tunnel, eager to catch a
New Zealand stayed firm at their Eden Park fortress to claim an attritional 24-17 win over South Africa in a heavyweight clash between the world’s top two rugby sides yesterday. Under pressure after conceding a first-ever defeat on Argentine soil against the Pumas two weeks ago, the All Blacks responded with a performance of grit and discipline to stretch their unbeaten run at their Auckland stronghold to 51 matches. Two well-taken tries by Emoni Narawa and Will Jordan set up a 14-3 lead at halftime before Quinn Tupaea grabbed a third five-pointer for the hosts 13 minutes from time. Well-held for most of
RSS