Spain’s Rienda Contreras reigns in Aspen

By Steve Keating

ASPEN, Colorado (Reuters) – Spain’s Maria Jose Rienda
Contreras won a women’s World Cup giant slalom on Saturday,
holding off a challenge from determined overall champion Anja
Paerson.

The leader after the opening leg, the 30-year-old held her
nerve to produce a storming second trip down a badly
deteriorating Ruthie’s Run piste to set a combined time of one
minute 57.17 seconds for a comfortable 0.34 second win over
Paerson.

Young Austrian Kathrin Zettel was third in a combined time
of 1:57.53 to claim her first career podium finish ahead of
Croatia’s Janica Kostelic and Austria’s Michaela Dorfmeister.

The second leg was interrupted for 15 minutes when
Germany’s Maria Riesch fell awkwardly midway through her run
and had to be loaded in a toboggan and taken off the course.

She was taken to an area hospital where she was being
examined for an injured knee and possible torn ligaments.

“The tension is so high in the second run after you are
first in first run,” said Rienda Contreras, after recording her
third career win. “I try to stay calm but it is difficult.
Every race is difficult.”

PAERSON RETURNS

Paerson’s second place signaled a return to form by the
Swede who had been mired in an early season slump since a third
place finish at the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden in
October.

After failing to score a single point in three speed events
in Lake Louise last week, she arrived in Aspen low on
confidence and in need of a good result to get back into the
overall chase ahead of February’s Turin Olympics.

“Coming into this week was pretty hard because Lake Louise
was not so good for me,” said Paerson. “I kind of lost all
confidence in my skis.

“Coming into today I just wanted to attack. I had nothing
to lose, I took a lot of risks and I’m happy with my second.

“All the bad luck I could have had came that week in Lake
Louise.

“All my material had things go wrong and I couldn’t relax.
I just had so much bad luck. I just tried to fight it but
couldn’t get one point. It was a very tough week.

“I was exhausted coming in here,” said Paerson.

Dorfmeister’s fifth place allowed the veteran Austrian to
maintain her position at the top of the overall standings with
334 points ahead of team mate Alexandra Meissnitzer on 260.

Paerson’s second place vaulted her into eighth place with
162 points and the Swede will be looking to close the gap even
further Sunday when they return to the mountain for the
season’s first women’s slalom.

“Last year slalom was one of my hardest events and this
year it looks totally different,” said Paerson. “The first
races of the season are always very difficult but I feel very
comfortable.

“I really believe I can go out there tomorrow and win my
first race.”