Anja Paerson SWE

Born on April 25th - 1981 in TAERNABY, Sweden

World Cup:
Overall, giant slalom & slalom World Cup Champion 2004
Giant Slalom World Cup Champion 2003
24 World Cup wins between 1998 and 2005 (Maribor)
(15 in SL and 9 in GS)
World Championships:
World Champion slalom St Anton 2001, giant slalom 2003, Super-G 2005
3rd giant slalom St Anton 2001
Winter Olympic Games:
2nd giant slalom, 3rd slalom Olympics 2002 Salt Lake City

Growing-up in Taernaby, as former skiing legend Ingemar Stenmark, Anja Paerson was soon determined to imitate him and become a world class ski racer. Ambitious and very talented, the Swede didn't need much time to confirm her potential in her younger years. She immediately dominated the rest of the field in her first races, before winning several junior FIS Worlds and the Europa-Cup GS title in 1998.
In November 1998 she was at only 17 the youngest skier to win a World Cup slalom in Mammoth Mt., California. Later on, Anja established herself as one of the best slalom specialists by winning a gold medal in St Anton, 2001 and accumulating several top-3 finishes.
In 2003, she reached a new level in crushing her rivals in giant slalom too, winning another FIS World title in St Moritz as well as the GS World Cup.
At that point, this relaxed yet ambitious young woman was more than ready to aim for the supreme goal: the Overall World Cup title. Anja Paerson achieved that performance in the most impressive way, winning 11 races during her 2003/2004 campaign and also scoring points in the speed events. Only Switzerland's Vreni Schneider won more World Cup races in a single season - 14 in 1989!
Both Stenmark and Pernilla Wiberg, the six-time gold medal winner and the 1997 Overall World Cup champion, are convinced that Anja can set new records among women racing. Wiberg has won 24 World Cup events during her great career, excelling in all five specialties.
Anja, who is trained by her father Anders, was determined to achieve the same kind of performances in the second part of her career and become an established allrounder. Last summer, she spent several weeks training the speed events in South America with the German team.
Anja Paerson gave her best to be the first Swede to win a gold medal in a speed event in Santa Caterina. Now she aims for more gold in combined and event in downhill - this year or in 2007 in Sweden's Are.
A very outgoing and charming athlete, she has also set her marks in becoming the first champion to win both weekend races in Park City, Zwiesel or Maribor where she won her seventh race in January 2005!
The Scandinavian, who lives now in the Principality of Monte-Carlo, is always enjoying her time in Taernaby when she often trains on her own slope - the Anjabakken.
In the wintertime, she likes to cruise at high speed on the icy lake with her powerful snowmobile while in the summer, she relaxes going out for long walks in the countryside where she likes to camp with her friends. It's the most perfect way for her to tank energy and be ready for more hard fights.

Patrick Lang