MARIBOR, Slovenia, Jan 24 - Austria's Michaela
Dorfmeister led from Sweden's Anja Paerson after the first run
of a women's World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday.
Dorfmeister, overall World Cup winner in 2002, skied the
Pohorje course in a time of one minute 7.90 seconds, just 0.17
seconds ahead of world champion Paerson.
Paerson is looking to regain her top place in the overall
standings from Austria's speed specialist Renate Goetschl who
was eighth fastest in the first run.
Another Austrian Nicole Hosp, who currently leads the giant
slalom standings by 30 points from Paerson, was in third place
0.37 seconds behind Dorfmeister with Spain's Maria Jose Rienda
Contreras just behind in fourth.
Germany's Martina Ertl, fifth in the overall standings and
fourth in giant slalom, failed to finish, crashing out near the
finish after clipping a gate.