LIENZ (Austria), Dec 30: Sweden’s Anja Paerson saw out the old year with a bang Saturday by winning the last slalom of 2001 for her second World Cup victory of the month.

The victory catapulted the 20-year-old Swede into second place from sixth in the overall World Cup standings, behind Austria’s Michaela Dorfmeister, and gave her the lead in the slalom World Cup.

The reigning slalom world champion, who led after the first leg, ripped down the rutted Dolomiten course to score a two-run combined time of one minute 24.74 seconds.—Reuters