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Paerson gets overall honor

World Cup overall winner Anja Paerson of Sweden kisses her trophy following the Alpine Ski World Cup finals in Parpan-Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Sunday. PHOTO: EPA

Anja Paerson woke up Sunday, learned that the final race of the season was delayed, and calculated what she needed to do to beat Janica Kostelic for her second consecutive overall World Cup title.

She couldn't have possibly calculated this: the Swede won with the smallest margin of victory -- three points -- since skiing's current point system was introduced 13 years ago. She also tied the smallest margin in the 38-season history of the World Cup, courtesy of a 0.09-second time differential.

In fact, the battle between the two top female skiers came down to the final racer of the season-ending giant slalom, Paerson's specialty.

In the final men's race of the season, Mario Matt won a slalom for his first victory in more than four years. Benjamin Raich had already clinched the season's slalom title.

After all the racing was complete, Bode Miller finally received his overall trophy -- which was sealed up on Saturday -- becoming the first American overall winner in 22 years.

Paerson began Sunday with a 35-point lead over Kostelic in the overall standings, and she would have automatically won the title by finishing ahead of the Croat.

The Swede seemed on track for the title in the opening leg, finishing ahead of Kostelic, but things got tricky for Paerson in the second run.

Kostelic was fourth after her run. Paerson, running next, was uncharacteristically slow, finishing just within the points in 13th place with four racers to go.

Kostelic could have secured the title by finishing seventh or higher as long Paerson fell out of the top 15, the only positions to score points at World Cup finals.

With one skier left, Kostelic was sitting seventh and Paerson was already out of the top 15. But Maria Jose Rienda Contreras of Spain delivered a sizzling final run -- overcoming a mistake where she went wide -- to win the race and give Paerson the overall title by bumping Kostelic to eighth. Paerson ended up 17th.

The difference between Kostelic and the seventh-place finisher, Martina Ertl of Germany, was 0.09 seconds.

"It comes down to a few hundredths every time and I don't think that's going to change for the next few years," Paerson said of her rivalry with Kostelic.

Paerson finished the season with 1,359 overall points, followed by Kostelic with 1,356.

"We both are the same age [23]. We started almost at the same time on the World Cup. So many things are alike -- my father and her father," Paerson said, since both skiers are coached by their fathers. "Today we showed how tight and good we are."

Kostelic, who entered the finals 63 points behind Paerson, said her "problem was coming into the final with too few points."

"I'm happy with second place because last year I wasn't even skiing. I wasn't disappointed. I was happy for Anja," Kostelic said. "I had a great world championships. I had a good season and I can't complain."

Paerson also took last year's overall globe in the absence of Kostelic, who missed the entire season due to illness and injury.

Matti Hautamaki of Finland won his fifth straight World Cup ski jump competition Sunday, finishing nearly 10 points ahead of runner-up Bjorn Einar Romoren on Holmenkollen's large hill.

Hautamaki had two consistent rides of 127.5m and 128m for 281.4 points. Romoren, jumping before his home fans, hit 124m and 128m for 272.1 points.
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