Paerson returns to winning ways

Sweden´s Anja Paerson powered to her 41st World Cup victory with a win in the women´s super-combined event in St. Moritz.

Sweden's Anja Paerson powered to her 41st World Cup victory with a win in the women's super-combined event here on Friday.

Paerson clocked a combined time over a super-G and slalom of 2min 0.54sec, 0.43sec ahead of Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria with American Lindsey Vonn at 0.92.

With just weeks to go before the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the victory could not have come at a better time for the most decorated skier on the women's circuit -- it was her first since the Altenmarkt downhill a year ago.

Vonn had seemed better placed after the super-G with the second fastest time but Paerson upped the ante in the slalom, overcoming a 0.8sec deficit on the American on her way to the top of the podium.

Vonn, however, saw her lead of the World Cup overall standings increase, her closest rival Maria Riesch of Germany having skied out of the super-G and failed to score any points on the day.

The World Cup events here continue with a downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.