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Skiing: Laure Pequegnot Wins World Cup Slalom Event VOA News 3 Feb 2002 19:59 UTC 
French skier Laure Pequegnot of France has won the last women's World Cup slalom event before the Winter Olympics open on Friday.
Pequegnot beat Kristina Koznick of the United States Sunday by a huge margin of 1.25 seconds in Are, Sweden. Pequegnot had a two-run total of one minute, 26.08 seconds on the Olympia, a course similar in parts to the run where the Olympic event will be held in Deer Valley, Utah.
Ylva Nowen, the 1998 World Cup slalom champion from Sweden, placed third 1.35 seconds behind the winner.
The win was the third slalom victory of the season for Pequegnot, who has been the most consistent racer this season. With her victory, Pequegnot closed in on her first World Cup slalom title with 552 points. Koznick is second in the points standings at 498.
Stephan Eberharter of Austria has won another men's giant slalom event, this time just 24 hours after claiming the men's World Cup downhill title.
Eberharter charged down the long, steep Corviglia-Suvretta course in Saint Moritz, Switzerland, with a two-run combined time of two minutes, 32.66 seconds. Didier Cuche of Switzerland climbed from seventh after the opening leg to runner-up position after producing the fastest second run, crossing in 2:32.68. Hans Knauss of Austria placed third at 2:33.04.
American speed specialist Bode Miller, the winner of a giant slalom in Val d'Isere, France, earlier this season, was fourth at 2:33.32.
The victory left Eberharter within reach of the World Cup giant slalom title with just one race left this season and 100 points still up for grabs. The winner of eight speed races this season, five in the downhill and three in the super-G, Eberharter also holds a comfortable lead in the overall. He is considered the strong favorite to win both speed events in Salt Lake City.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
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