Three years after her first win here - and her last triumph in slalom on the World Cup tour - Finland's Tanja Poutiainen beat the odds and all the top-favorites in one of the most challenging slalom races of the season held on the demanding Sljeme course above Zagreb.

Tanja Poutiainen, of Finland, slaloms past a pole on her way to clock the third fastest time during the first run of a women's ski World Cup slalom on the Sljeme hill outside Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
 
The former giant slalom and slalom World Cup champion finished ahead of two-time winner here Marlies Schild, the leader after the first run, while Slovakia's Veronika Zuzulova came in a strong 3rd thanks to her aggressive second run.

Marlies Schild of Austria slaloms past a pole on her way to clock the fastest time during the first run of a women's ski World Cup slalom on the Sljeme hill outside Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/ Giovanni Auletta)

Another Austrian, Kathrin Zettel was 4th ahead of Nina Loeseth from Norway and reigning World Champion Sarka Zahrobska from the Czech Republic.

Defending World Cup Champion Nicole Hosp, 2nd in the first leg, straddled a gate and skied out in the middle of her second run as Germany's Maria Riesch, the other top contender for the 2008 Overall World Cup. This could reinforce the chances of USA's Lindsey Vonn who skipped this slalom to rest and home and prepare the next downhill at Whistler Mountain.

Sweden's Anja Paerson, an excellent 4th in the first run, lost much time in the second leg because of a technical problem with one of her skis which lost its tip and moved down to a frustrating 12th place.

7th win for Tanja

Poutiainen, who won a giant slalom last season at Zwiesel, was absolutely delighted and relieved by her seventh World Cup win since 2004. "I have been waiting a long time for this, I can't tell you what it means to me now," she said afterwards. "I badly wanted to excel again in that specialty which requires so much training," the 27-year-old skier from Rovaniemi added.

Tanja Poutiainen, of Finland, celebrates her victory of the women's Ski World Cup slalom on the Sljeme hill outside Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

"Last spring I worked hard with my staff to find out ways to improve my slalom and it soon paid off. I had some promising results at the start of the season, so I knew it was just a matter of time until I could win again. In the first run this afternoon I was very happy to come so close to the leaders despite a few mistakes done at the top and the bottom of my run. I really felt it could be my day again here."

"I had nothing to lose afterwards, you have to take chances to be in position to beat skiers as Nicole Hosp or Marlies Schild, so I really let it go in the second run. Yet I felt so confident and sure of myself that I even didn't need to take extra risks. In fact, I had a really solid run without any problem and here I'm - back at the top of the podium. It's a great day for me and my staff too."

"I'm also happy about the possibility to remain in the race for the slalom World Cup title. It makes everything more interesting even though Marlies is clearly the favourite."

"This is my twelfth World Cup season or so, yet I still feel the same passion for alpine ski racing. So far, I reached much more than I dreamed of when I began my career yet there are still goals to fight for in the coming years, including an Olympic gold medal in 2010."

"I also wish to congratulate the organizers for the great job done here on and around the course. We can compare this race to Kitzbühel, it quite perfectly done. We all like the quality of our accommodation downtown and the course preparation. This slope is long and technically demanding so to win here is very special. I was proud to get this crystal crown on the podium. Last time it was a golden bear, but a crown means more to me."

Marlies Schild was still in the lead at the first intermediate time of the second run, yet she lost nearly a second on the bottom where she made a series of small mistakes on the slick course. The Austrian, the only racer so far this season to have entered all World Cup races with Maria Riesch, also explained that she didn't feel as confident this evening than last winter when she clearly dominated the field in that specialty.

"I was surprised to see that Nicole Hosp skied out and I was aggressive enough at the bottom where I slipped out several times," the skier from nearby Salzburg explained. "Yet I'm sure that Tanja achieved a really great second run. A podium finish is always fine even though I always fight hard for victory. At least I'm scoring big points in the slalom World Cup which I strongly wish to clinch again."

As Poutiainen, Zuzulova was also able to raise her level in the evening to move up from 7th to 3rd place. It's her seventh podium finish in a World Cup slalom - now she wants more. "I went for it this evening because I wanted more than a seventh place," she explained. "It was pretty exciting to move at my limits this evening, but I definitely feel ready for my first win," added the 23-year-old Slovakian.

The next women race is schedule next week at Whistler Mountain, in British Columbia, on the site of the 2010 Olympics. A downhill followed by a Super-combined should take place weather permitting on the slope of the Canadian resort which has not hosted a World Cup stop for a long time.

P. Lang
Snow Queen Trophy news
22:52, 15.02.2008

Official final race results:

1. POUTIAINEN, Tanja (FIN) 1:52.83
2. SCHILD, Marlies (AUT) 1:53.35
3. ZUZULOVA, Veronika (SVK) 1:53.51
4. ZETTEL, Kathrin (AUT) 1:53.72
5. LOESETH, Nina (NOR) 1:54.17
6. ZAHROBSKA, Sarka (CZE) 1:54.40
7. MOELGG, Manuela (ITA) 1:54.43
8. PIETILAE-HOLMNER, Maria (SWE) 1:54.71
9. BORSSEN, Therese (SWE) 1:54.74
10. BERGMANN, Monika (GER) 1:55.10
11. GINI, Sandra (SUI) 1:55.51
12. PAERSON, Anja (SWE) 1:55.92
13. CHMELAR, Fanny (GER) 1:56.19
14. HANGL, Celina (SUI) 1:56.32
15. FLEISS, Nika (CRO) 1:56.42
16. RIESCH, Susanne (GER) 1:56.47
17. GOERGL, Elisabeth (AUT) 1:56.71
18. FEIERABEND, Denise (SUI) 1:57.05
19. GOODMAN, Anna (CAN) 1:57.39
20. NIGG, Marina (LIE) 1:57.40
21. CERESA, Annalisa (ITA) 1:57.61
22. SMED, Veronica (SWE) 1:58.33
23. FERNSEBNER, Carolin (GER) 1:58.56
24. HANSDOTTER, Frida (SWE) 2:00.4