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Spain's Rienda Contreras reigns in Aspen

Posted on: Saturday, 10 December 2005, 18:23 CST

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."

Source: REUTERS

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