ARE, Sweden (AP) _ After two straight runner-up finishes, Anja Paerson got her first World Cup win on home snow. Racing on the circuit's only illuminated GS course, the Swedish world champion held off Italian sensation Daniela Merighetti to win a giant slalom Thursday night. Paerson, second in 2001 and 2002, had a combined time of 2 minutes, 29.88 seconds down the Gastrappet course, edging Merighetti by 12 hundredths of a second.

Daniela Merighetti

After winning, she did one of her customary belly flops in the finish area, skidding a couple of meters before getting back up to salute thousands of cheering home fans.
"It was really a joy to win here tonight, to show the fans," Paerson said. "The atmosphere was great." This was Paerson's third straight World Cup win in the GS
and her fourth consecutive victory in the discipline counting last month's World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
"I've always seen myself as a slalom skier, but I've come through this season in the GS," she said.
The 21-year-old Swede now has 11 career World Cup wins in slalom and the GS. The latest win enabled her to take a 56-point lead over Karen Putzer of Italy in the GS standings with one race left.

Denise Karbon

Denise Karbon, another Italian and silver medalist behind Paerson in the World Championships, was third, 0.14 behind.
Merighetti skied a sizzling second run and vaulted from 29th _ she was more than two seconds off the leader's pace in the opening run _ to give her a career-best finish. She had never scored a single point in the GS before, only in the slalom, during three seasons on the World Cup circuit.
"I had nothing to lose in the second run," Merighetti said. "This kind of course, with a lot of gliding, is perfect for me. I didn't expect to make the podium, but I knew I could do well tonight. But it's hard to believe.
Instead of going to the Europa Cup I'm heading to Lillehammer."
Martina Ertl of Germany placed fourth, 0.40 behind, while first-run leader Britt Janyk of Canada dropped to fifth, 0.57 behind.

Janica Kostelic

Croatia's Janica Kostelic placed sixth, enough to clinch the World Cup overall title with five races left. One slalom is scheduled here Saturday and the other four races
_ downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom _ will be held next week on Lillehammer's Olympic courses in Norway.

Daniela Merighetti, Anja Paerson and Denise Karbon

The Italian team had a great race with four skiers in the top 10. The other Italian in the top 10 was Nicole Gius, who finished eighth ahead of Putzer.
"For the Italian team it was a fantastic day," said Karbon. "This gives us a lot of motivation for next season. We have a strong group now."
Michaela Dorfmeister, the defending overall champion from Austria and runner-up going into the Swedish meet, skied out after one minute as the first competitor down the hill. Her teammate Nicole Hosp, who started second, sustained minor knee and arm injuries when she fell near the finish.
Kristina Koznick was the top American finisher in 10th place, one spot from her career-best in the GS that she achieved here last year. Sara Schleper finished 17th,
Kirsten Clark 20th and Jonna Mendes 28th.

AP, 07.03.2003