ARE, Sweden (Reuters) - Janica Kostelic won the penultimate women's slalom of the World Cup season on Saturday finishing with a total time of one minute 45.84 seconds, 0.63 ahead of her biggest rival and local favorite Anja Paerson. Little was at stake in the race as the Croatian world and Olympic champion had already wrapped up the overall and slalom World Cup titles.

Janica Kostelic

But Kostelic took the task seriously and scored a prestigious win over Paerson. It was her fifth slalom victory of the season, two more than the Swede.

German Monika Bergmann earned her first podium place of the season with third, 1.74 seconds behind Kostelic.

Wearing bib number four, Kostelic took the lead with a near perfect first run whereas Paerson, who won the giant slalom here on Thursday, lost time with a bad turn on a steep section near the top of the Olympia course.

"I took advantage of my early start number," said Kostelic, 21. "The slope was really bumpy and icy and the skis didn't hold well on the snow so it was not easy for the late numbers."

Kostelic held on to her lead with the best second leg as well in a time of 51.62 seconds, only 0.08 ahead of Paerson, who improved vastly from her first run.

"When I saw the time of Anja's second run, I thought I wasn't going to win the race," said Kostelic, who had never made it on to the podium in Are before.

"I was really happy to win this race because I know how much Anja wanted to win in front of her home crowd."

Anja Paerson, Janica Kostelic and Monika Bergmann

Kostelic said she found the Olympia course "a little too flat and easy" and was pleased that local organizers planned to make it more difficult before the 2007 world championships in Are.

THUMB INJURY

Kostelic, who has had a succession of knee injuries in her career and will undergo minor surgery on her right knee after the season, said she had injured her right thumb on Saturday.

"I don't remember the last time I was completely healthy," she said.

Paerson, who moved up to second in the overall standings, said she had enjoyed the rivalry with Kostelic this season.

"When Janica and I are skiing and fighting it is very exciting," said Paerson, who hugged Kostelic at the finish line. "They are always big races and it is always a great challenge.

"I'm going to try my best to finish second (overall)," Paerson added. "There are about five of us fighting at the top and most of them are speed girls."

Bergmann was the first German woman to finish in the top three in the technical events of slalom and giant slalom this season.

"This is important for the team," said the 24-year-old Bergmann, who had two second places last season. "The podium is good for us as we received a lot of pressure from the media after not getting any medals at the world championships."

Thursday's surprise giant slalom runner-up Daniela Merighetti of Italy was among 13 of the 52 starters who failed to finish the first leg.

The World Cup now moves to Lillehammer in Norway where the men and women will meet up for the season's finals all next week.

By Oliver Grassman, Reuters, 08.03.2003