ASPEN, Colorado, 30 November 2004 — Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen won her second World Cup race in three days on Sunday after favorite Janica Kostelic fell in the second leg of a slalom.
Poutiainen, enjoying a fantastic start to the season, took the overall cup lead with victory in the second Aspen slalom to add to her giant slalom win from Friday.
“Pinch me, am I dreaming?” said the 24-year-old Poutiainen who has been on the podium in all four of the season’s races so far. “This is absolutely incredible.”
Croatian Kostelic, who won the first slalom on Saturday, led after Sunday’s first leg but fell as she came down the second run. She was unhurt.
Defending overall cup champion Anja Paerson of Sweden, who had led the overall standings before Sunday, was one of a series of women to crash out of the first leg held in driving snow which made visibility difficult.
Paerson, who was second on Friday and Saturday, has been suffering from sinusitis.
Italian Manuela Moelgg celebrated the first podium place of her career with second, 1.21 seconds behind Poutiainen’s time of one minute 50.77.
American Kristina Koznick was third in 1:52.14, 0.13 seconds ahead of Frenchwoman Florine De Leymarie.
Kostelic, who missed last season because of knee surgery and an operation to remove her thyroid gland, led Poutiainen by 0.44 seconds after skiing cautiously down the tricky first run which claimed eight of the first 30 starters.
Despite a “stupid mistake” that put her out of the second run, the former overall champion was all smiles in the finish area.
“There will be another day, another race. I won’t be thinking about this for more than five minutes,” Kostelic said.
The 21-year-old Moelgg, who had started with bib number 39, was eighth after the first run and was delighted to finish second after the weather improved for the second leg.
“I felt that today would be my day,” said Moelgg, hoping that her success would rub off on older brother Manfred, who races on the men’s World Cup but has yet to earn any points this season.