Larsson wins at Dusseldorf for fourth time{mosimage}Sweden's Peter Larsson won in Dusseldorf, Germany, for the fourth time Saturday in World Cup cross-country skiing's season opener.

Larsson, who hasn't claimed another World Cup event, finished a 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) freestyle sprint race in 3 minutes and 4.5 seconds, edging Norway's Tor Arne Hetland by 0.1 of a second.

Thobias Fredriksson of Sweden was third, 0.3 seconds back, in a race held on artificial snow in the city on a rainy day.

Norway's Marit Bjoergen, the defending overall World Cup champion, captured the woman's 800-meter freestyle sprint in 1:47.07.

Finland's Aino-Kaisa Saarinen took second, 1.7 seconds back, while Russia's Natalya Matveeva was 2.0 seconds behind.

- The Associated Press

World Cup
1.5 kilometer freestyle sprint
Dusseldorf, Germany
Oct. 22, 2005
Men
1. Peter Larsson, Sweden, 3 minutes, 04.5 seconds.
2. Tor Arne Hetland, Norway, 0.1 seconds back.
3. Thobias Fredriksson, Sweden, 0.3.
4. Fredrik Ostberg, Sweden, 0.8.

World Cup Standings
(After 1 of 23 races)
1. Peter Larsson, Sweden, 100 points.
2. Tor Arne Hetland, Norway, 80.
3. Thobias Fredriksson, Sweden, 60.
4. Fredrik Ostberg, Sweden, 50.
5. Bjorn Lind, Sweden, 45.

Women
800-meter freestyle sprint
1. Marit Bjorgen, Norway, 1:47.7.
2. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, 1.7.
3. Natalya Matveeva, Russia, 2.0
4. Anna Dahlberg, Sweden, 2.0.

World Cup Standings
(After 1 of 23 races)
1. Marit Bjorgen, Norway, 100.
2. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, 80.
3. Natalya Matveeva, Russia, 60.
4. Anna Dahlberg, Sweden, 50.
5. Claudia Kuenzel, Germany, 45.