Silver medal gives Mancuso record

ARE, Sweden -- Julia Mancuso added a silver medal to her growing collection and made US skiing history. Anja Paerson was golden again on her home slopes.

Mancuso became the first American skier to medal at major competitions in three straight seasons, capturing second place behind Paerson in the women's combined race yesterday at the world championships.

Mancuso collected two bronze medals at the last world championships in Bormio, Italy, two years ago and gold in the giant slalom at last year's Turin Olympics. She tied Christin Cooper and Tamara McKinney with four medals, and moved one behind Picabo Street's US women's record of five.

"I just have a nice little box at home where I collect them," Mancuso said. "It's definitely interesting and fun to learn the history of past American racers and join in."

Mancuso's haul is nothing compared to that of Paerson, a Swede who has won both events at these world championships.

Paerson, who won the super-giant slalom Tuesday, had struggled this season to regain her form after knee surgery.

Paerson's victory was her sixth world title, and it gave her a total of 13 major championship medals -- five at the Olympics and eight at the worlds.

Paerson had the fastest downhill leg yesterday, then easily maintained her lead in the one slalom leg for a combined time of 1 minute 57.69 seconds.

Mancuso moved up from third after the downhill leg and finished 0.81 seconds behind. Marlies Schild of Austria took the bronze, climbing from 10th after the downhill with the fastest slalom leg. She finished 0.85 back.

Mancuso has won medals in three events.

"I think the combined, compared to every other event, is a little bit more about perseverance," she said. "For me, making it down in slalom, skiing consistent, and coming across the finish line first, that's what the combined is -- just fighting all day."

Teammate Lindsey Kildow was second fastest in the downhill leg, but was disqualified after a wild slalom run.

Kildow took the silver in Tuesday's super-G.