Pärson scores timely World Cup victory

Top Swedish skier Anja Pärson sealed her first World Cup win of the season in the women's super-combined event in St. Moritz on Friday.

• Swedes claim Paralympic curling bronze (22 Mar 10)
• Springtime skiing - just a bus ride from Stockholm (19 Mar 10)
• Swedish curlers face Paralympic tie-break (19 Mar 10)

In what was her 41st career World Cup victory, Pärson clocked a combined time over a super-G and slalom of 2min 0.54sec, 0.43sec ahead of Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria with American Lindsey Vonn at 0.92.

With just weeks to go before the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the victory could not have come at a better time for the most decorated skier on the women's circuit - it was her first since the Altenmarkt downhill a year ago.

"I wanted to do well, it's very important before the Games," she said.

"This victory is really perfect ahead of the Olympics."

Pärson added: "I'm patient. And if you work, its pays off. However, up until now my season wasn't terrible, I was often in the top 10."

Vonn had seemed better placed after the super-G with the second fastest time but Pärson upped the ante in the slalom, overcoming a 0.8sec deficit on the American on her way to the top of the podium.

"I'm really very pleased," Vonn said.

"The points are welcome for the super-combined World Cup and especially for the World Cup overall."

Vonn saw her lead of the World Cup overall standings increase, her closest rival Maria Riesch of Germany having skied out of the super-G and failed to score any points on the day.

"I didn't take any risks, I just wanted to make it to the bottom," Vonn continued. "Of course, if Riesch had raced the slalom I would have taken more risks. But it was less stressful like that."

The World Cup events continue in St. Moritz with a downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.