Lenzerheide: Paerson tops in SG; Schild 3rd

Anja Paerson of Sweden won the final super G of the season Thursday, while Marlies Schild finished third to consolidate her lead atop the overall standings with her best events yet to come.
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland — Anja Paerson of Sweden won the final super G of the season Thursday, while Marlies Schild finished third to consolidate her lead atop the overall standings with her best events yet to come.
    Paerson, who won three gold medals at the World Championships last month but had been winless all season in World Cup competition, raced down the sun-soaked Silvano-Beltrametti course in 1 minute, 20.16 seconds.
    Austria’s Andrea Fischbacher was runner-up in 1:20.83.
    Schild was third in 1:21.09, matching her career-best super G result, which she recorded here two seasons ago. Schild had already pulled away from her overall challengers on Wednesday when she finished second in the final downhill.
    Teammate Nicole Hosp remained second behind Schild in the overall race by placing fifth in 1:21.38.
    Julia Mancuso, the only non-Austrian still in the chase for the overall, saw one of her best chances to catch up slip away, finishing seventh in 1:22.00. She is now third in the overall standings.
    Renate Goetschl all but fell out of the overall hunt, missing a gate on the upper part of the course. While still in mathematical contention for the title, Goetschl is not as strong as her two teammates in the slalom and giant slalom, which are the only two races remaining.
    “I wanted to do well the last two days but I hadn’t counted on this,” said Schild, who has won seven of the eight slaloms this season.
    Schild leads the overall standings with 1,442 points, followed by Hosp with 1,372 and Mancuso with 1,332. Goetschl is next with 1,300 points.
    Mancuso is the Olympic giant slalom champion and could do well in Sunday’s race. However, she is weaker in the slalom, which is set for Saturday.
    Still, Schild was not ready to count out the American just yet.
    “I wouldn’t say she is out of it,” Schild said. “She is still capable of skiing the slalom well.”
    Goetschl had already locked up the super G title coming into the finals. She ended the season with 540 points after seven races.
    Hosp finished second in the discipline rankings with 352 points. Lindsey Kildow, who injured her knee last month in slalom training at the worlds, finished third with 310 points, and Mancuso was next with 273.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report

THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
Women's SG, Lenzerheide, Switzerland, March 15, 2007
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Paerson, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
2 Fischbacher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Schild, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Meissnitzer, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
5 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
6 Brydon, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
7 Mancuso, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
8 Goergl, Blizzard/Lange/Marker
9 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
10 Styger, Volkl/Lange/Marker

Women's super G, Lenzerheide, Switzerland, March 15, 2007. … It is the 34th race of the women's schedule with two races remaining. … It is the seventh of seven super G's.
    It is the 35th career World Cup win for Anja Paerson. … She is tenth on the all time list one behind Katja Seizinger. … She is fifth on the women's only list. … It is her third career win in SG. … It is her first World Cup win of the season, although she won three gold medals at World Championships.
    It is the third World Cup podium for Andrea Fischbacher, all of them in SG. … The other two came in December of 2005 at Lake Louise Dec. 4, and Aspen Dec. 9.
    It is the 35th career podium for Marlies Schild. … Her 14th of the season. … It is her second career SG podium, both of them coming at World Cup finals and both at Lenzerheide, the previous from 2005.
    It is the ninth career top six for Emily Brydon and second in SG after a third at Val d'Isere Dec. 18, 2005. … It is the 34th career top seven result for Julia Mancuso. … Her 17th of the season. … In seven total SG's this season (includes World Championships) she has been eighth or better six times, winning at Cortina Jan. 19. … Kelly VanderBeek gets no points in 17th place under the rules for finals.
    Renate Goetschl (DNF in race) wins the SG title 540-362 over Nicole Hosp (5th in race). … Lindsey Kildow (did not race) is third in the final SG standings at 310 and Julia Mancuso fourth at 273. … Marlies Schild puts some distance in her overall lead. … With two races remaining she leads 1442-1372 over Hosp with Mancuso third at 1332. … Goetschl remains at 1300. … Anja Paerson is three points behind the absent Kildow holding fifth at 808.

 Lenzerheide women's World Cup super G results

Did not finish 1st run:
GOETSCHL Renate (AUT), JANYK Britt (CAN), WILHELM Kathrin (AUT), KIRCHGASSER Michaela (AUT), SIMARD Genevieve (CAN), HALTMAYR Petra (GER)

World Cup super G standings
(After 7 of 7 races)
1. Renate Goetschl, Austria, 540 points.
2. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 352.
3. Lindsey Kildow, United States, 310.
4. Julia Mancuso, United States, 273.
5. Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria, 207.
6. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 202.
7. Britt Janyk, Canada, 167
.
8. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria, 158.
9. Kelly VanderBeek, Canada, 149.
10. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 143.
11. Emily Brydon, Canada, 140.
(tie) Christine Sponring, Austria, 140.
13. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, Switzerland, 137.
14. Marlies Schild, Austria, 135.
15. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 126.
16. Martina Schild, Switzerland, 124.
(tie) Ingrid Jacquemod, France, 124.
18. Maria Riesch, Germany, 118.
19. Nadia Styger, Switzerland, 110.
20. Kathrin Wilhelm, Austria, 109.
21. Lucia Recchia, Italy, 107.
22. Silvia Berger, Austria, 101.
23. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 96.
24. Genevieve Simard, Canada, 70.
25. Petra Haltmayr, Germany, 66.
26. Kaylin L. Richardson, United States, 61.
27. Gina Stechert, Germany, 60.
28. Carolina Ruiz-Castillo, Spain, 53.
29. Stacey Cook, United States, 49.
30. Libby Ludlow, United States, 46.

Overall World Cup standings
(After 33 of 35 races)
1. Marlies Schild, Austria, 1,442 points.
2. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 1,372.
3. Julia Mancuso, United States, 1,332.
4. Renate Goetschl, Austria, 1,300.
5. Lindsey Kildow, United States, 808.
6. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 805.
7. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 688.
8. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 575.
9. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 568.
10. Ingrid Jacquemod, France, 562.
11. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic, 553.
12. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 539.
13. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria, 468.
14. Maria Riesch, Germany, 435.
15. Emily Brydon, Canada, 414.