ST. MORITZ, Switzerland -- Slovenia's Tina Maze won her
second career World Cup race Wednesday, and defending champion Anja
Paerson regained the lead in the overall standings with a
second-place finish in the giant slalom.
Maze was behind Paerson after the first run, but had a smooth,
clean second run down the sun-soaked Engiadina course to finish
with a combined time of 2 minutes, 26.99 seconds. Paerson finished
second with an aggregate time of 2:27.11, with Marie Jose Rienda
Contreras of Spain third in 2:27.73.
Julia Mancuso had the best U.S. result, finishing sixth in
2:28.52.
Another American skier, Kristina Koznick, crashed during the first run,
skidding off the course and colliding with a gate. She had blurred
vision, a bruised jaw and a 1-inch cut on her tongue. Koznick also
had bruised ribs, but the U.S. team doctor said she didn't appear
to have any broken bones or torn ligaments.
Maze's previous World Cup victory was at Soelden in 2002, when
she tied for first in the giant slalom with Norway's Andrine
Flemmen and 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."
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.
"Everyone is battling. Last year I was lucky, I had a good
season, but this year it's hard to stay up there," Paerson said.
"Everybody's really fighting for it. But it's nice to have the red
bib."
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 along with
the giant slalom and slalom, now has 493 points. Poutiainen slipped
to second with 486.
Croatian Janica Kostelic, making a comeback after a year off due
to illness and injury, was third after the opening run but crashed
during the second leg.