SKIING ROUNDUP

updated 3:45 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2004

KITZBUEHEL, Austria - Kalle Palander of Finland won a slalom Sunday and Thomas Grandi was second for the best result ever in a World Cup technical event by a Canadian man.

Palander, the defending World Cup slalom champion, covered the two runs on the Ganslernhang course in 1 minute, 30.63 seconds, giving him the lead in the slalom standings.

“It was a great victory because it is really tough here,” Palander said. “Kitzbuehel is something like a home race for me because me and my coach have been spending so much time here.”

Grandi finished 0.08 seconds behind and Rainer Schoenfelder of Austria was third in 1:31.69. Bode Miller made a strong second run to finish fourth. Another American, Tom Rothrock, was ninth.

This was Palander’s third slalom victory this season. He also won the season-opener in Park City, Utah, as well as a slalom in Flachau this month.

“I had a bad result in Chamonix and so I needed this boost,” said Palander, who finished 16th at the French resort this month before going off course in the opening run in Wengen last week

The best World Cup slalom result for Canadian men until now was by Scott Henderson, who was fourth during a 1967 race in the inaugural year of the World Cup in 1967.

The previous best in any technical event was also by Grandi, who placed third in a giant slalom in 1997 in Park City, Utah.

This marked the first time Grandi ever led after the first leg. He is better known for comebacks in the second run.

“I was not nervous at all this morning, but before my second run, I certainly was,” Grandi said.

Paerson wins third straight slalom
Anja Paerson of Sweden won her third straight World Cup slalom in Maribor, Slovenia, to strengthen her lead in the overall standings.

Paerson, who captured the giant slalom Saturday, has won all but one of the six slaloms this season.

She led after the first run by almost a half second, then stretched the gap to a whopping 1.24 seconds over Austria’s Marlies Schild. Another Austrian, Nicole Hosp, was third, 1.35 seconds off the pace. The top U.S. finisher was Kristina Koznick in 17th place.

Delighted by her run, Paerson slumped to the ground as her skis carved through the snow to a standstill at the finish area.

Skiing on an overcast day and in excellent conditions, Paerson won her 17th career title, with six coming at Maribor.

“I like it here,” she said. “I have a special bond and it feels just like home.”

Paerson leads the overall standings with 998 points, 105 ahead of Austrian speed specialist Renate Goetschl. Hilde Gerg of Germany is third at 768. Koznick is ninth in the standings.

Schild matched her best career result.

“Anja combined two perfect runs today,” she said. “We made mistakes.”

Hosp, enjoying her best season on the circuit, was more than satisfied after a spill in the giant slalom a day earlier.

“Everything is hurting, my neck, my back, my shoulder, my knee,” she said. “But I tried to forget this.”