Anja Pärson

Anja Sofia Tess Parson ( born April 25, 1981 in Umeå ) is a former Swedish alpine skier. She won an Olympic gold medal, seven World Championship titles and twice the overall ranking of the Alpine Ski World Cup. Parson is one of six athletes who won World Cup races in all five disciplines. She is also so far the only, the world champion was in all disciplines. More World Cup medals as she has only the German Christl Cranz won in the 1930s.

• 4.1 The Olympic Games
• 4.2 World Championships
• 4.3 Junior World Championships
• 4.4 World Cup ratings
• 4.5 World Cup wins
• 4.6 European Cup
• 4.7 Further successes

Biography

Junior time

Anja Parson - a member of the people of the seeds - grew up in Tärnaby, the birthplace of Ingemar Stenmark. This is one of them next to Vreni Schneider to their role models. She learned to ski at the age of three years and won soon after several years racing against older competitors. Father Anders Parson recognized early the talent of his daughter and began to train them; long as it was part of their coaching staff.

1996 Parson won in her age group, all three competitions at the Whistler Cup. In November of the same year she first participated in FIS races. After she had noticed, with good performances, she found recording in the Swedish national team. Inserts in the European Cup was followed in December 1997. Already in their first season in 1997/98 they won two European Cup races and decided the giant slalom standings for themselves. At the Junior World Championship 1998, she won the gold medal in the giant slalom and the bronze medal in the slalom.

1998-2002

On 25 March 1998, a month before her 17th birthday, Parson debuted in skiing, the giant slalom in Crans -Montana: You went to number 25, for which there still was no World Cup points since the World Cup Finals, only the top 15 ( instead of 30 ) are counted. The first World Cup points they finally caught up to the start of the next season on 24 October 1998 in Sölden ( 13th place). Already in its fifth World Cup race, the slalom at Mammoth Mountain on 3 December 1998, Parson celebrated her first victory. She participated in the 1999 World Championships, but came in two races each not finishing. In contrast, she was at the Junior World Championships in 1999 and 2000 with a total of two gold and bronze medals of the most successful athletes.

In the season 1999/2000 Parson remained without a win in a World Cup race, but stood on the podium four times. Similarly, the 2000/01 season was with six podium finishes. But at the 2001 World Championships in St. Anton am Arlberg she could win the gold medal in slalom; added came third place in the giant slalom. In December 2001, followed Pärsons second victory in a World Cup race. Although she won another three slaloms in the 2001/ 02 season, they could not secure the victory in the slalom discipline rating due to multiple failures. In its first Olympic Winter Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Parson drove in the giant slalom on the second and third place in the slalom.

Parson was driven almost exclusively slalom and giant slalom races in the early years of her career and became one of the top riders of the "technical" disciplines. In the season 2002/ 03 she danced and took as part of the World Cup on a regular basis to Super-G race in part, from 2003/ 04 also of runs. Gradually Parson developed becoming the all-rounder.

2003-2006

In 2003, Parson get first victory at World Cup giant slalom. With a total of three victories and three other placements in the first five ranks, she decided the giant slalom discipline rating extremely scarce in itself - on the second placed Italy's Karen Putzer only had them on one-point lead. In the 2003 World Cup in St. Moritz, Parson sat in the giant slalom through much clearer and won with a large margin of 1.55 seconds for the Italian Denise Karbon the gold medal; in the slalom, it was enough to fourth place.

The World Cup season 2003/ 04 was Pärsons successful. She won six slalom and giant slalom five. This season, they also managed to win four slaloms and giant slaloms in a row. Some of these victories they could with more than one second to celebrate advantage. In the overall World Cup they delivered himself in a duel with the Austrian Renate Götschl, which was similarly successful in the speed disciplines. But in the end Pärsons gradual transition to the speed disciplines began to pay off as they are so pulled out a decisive lead. In addition to the victory in the overall standings, they also secured the slalom and giant slalom ratings.

In the season 2004/ 05 Parson was only ever a victory in slalom and giant slalom. For this, she won her first race in the disciplines of downhill and Super -G in February 2005. In addition to the technical driving skills came to her speed disciplines, particularly in the shallow Gleitpassagen, also benefit from their enormous power and their increasing body mass. Hauptkonkurrentin Croatian Janica Kostelic was the time that intervened into the action again after a year of injury. At the 2005 World Championships in Santa Caterina all gold medals were either Kostelic or Parson: While the Croat was victorious in the downhill, slalom, and in combination, the Swede won the Super -G and giant slalom; in combination, they came in second. The decision for the overall World Cup was the last race of the season. Parson eventually won with only three points ahead of Kostelic for the second time in a row the World Cup; It was this the slightest projection since 1978/79, also with three points difference. In each discipline ratings Parson other hand, recorded a victory.

In the season 2005/06 Kostelic placed in front of Parson by the overall World Cup. The Swede, however, reach eight wins in four different disciplines and they also decided the giant slalom discipline rating for themselves. At the Olympic Winter Games 2006 Parson had chances to win all races. First, they were each third in the downhill and the combined. Finally, she won the gold medal ahead of the Austrians Nicole Hosp and Marlies Schild in slalom. For this performance she was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal -.

2007-2012

Parson was in the 2006/07 season due to a knee operation for which they had had to undergo due to excessive load, initially unable to build on the achievements of previous years. Without having a victory in a World Cup race won, she traveled to the 2007 World Championships in Åre. There, however, they surprised their competition and celebrated the biggest success of her career: Parson won the gold medal in the downhill, super-G and super combined, plus the silver medal in the team event and the bronze medal in the slalom. 2007 Parson was honored again with the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal -; it is therefore next to Bjorn Borg and Ingemar Stenmark is the only person who received this award twice.

With the victory in the Super Combined on March 9, 2008 in Crans -Montana is Parson ranked as only the fourth runner in the World Cup history to those who have won in all five disciplines. Next to her, these were at the time, Janica Kostelic, Petra Kronberger and Pernilla Wiberg, since 2012, Lindsey Vonn is one of those runners, since 2013 also Tina Maze.

The World Cup of 2009 was in Parson in view of good results during the World Cup season rather disappointing. In Val d'Isere they do not make it past a ninth place in the slalom. A week after the World Cup but it secured in the super combined in Tarvisio victory in this World Cup discipline standings. In April 2009, Parson announced in a TV interview that she will end her career after the 2009/10 Olympic season - which has not occurred.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 18, Parson won the bronze medal in the super combined. This success came as a surprise because it was a bad fall the day before in the Special Departure: When the final jump they had flown about 60 yards through the air and collided hard on the runway, where they had suffered only numerous bruises. After the 2009/10 season in which they finished third overall in the World Cup and a race - a combination - won, gave Pärsön announced that she would continue her career. Previously it was speculated about their careers end.

The 2010/11 season started disappointingly for Parson: By the turn of the year 6th place in the departure of Lake Louise was her best result. In 2011, however, she was able to improve and scored two podiums as well as several top - 10 finishes. At the World Championships 2011 in Garmisch -Partenkirchen she won the bronze medal in the super combined and the team competition. On 5 March 2011, they won in the departure of Tarvisio. It was this. Their first World Cup victory after more than a year or her first downhill win in over two years

In the 2011/12 season, in which they played almost no slaloms and giant slaloms more, Parson could not keep up with the best in the world because of health problems due to cartilage damage in his left knee. She drove in six World Cup races of the winter just below the top ten and announced before the World Cup finals in Schladming, to end with the end of the season their careers. In their last World Cup race on March 15, 2012, exactly 14 years after her World Cup debut, she finished eighth in the super -G - the best result of her last World Cup season.

Records

Pärsons balance in the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Games underscores its versatility and exceptional position: At Olympic Games, she won six medals between 2002 and 2010 in four different disciplines, Janica Kostelic what was previously succeeded only. In addition, they won in all disciplines - slalom, giant slalom, Super - G, Downhill and Super Combined - title at the World Championships, has been the only athlete ever. Parson is also so far the only woman who managed to win at least three World Cup races in each individual event.

With seven gold medals at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 Parson also one of the most successful World Cup players of all time, behind the German Christl Cranz and together with the French Marielle Goitschel. In addition to the Croatian Janica Kostelic it is the most successful all-rounder for major events: Of the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City up to the World Championships in Åre 2007, both ski racers together won 17 of 25 to be awarded gold medals.

Parson has 18 victories in the eternal Slalom World Cup victories list currently in fifth place. Are placed in front of her Marlies Schild with 35, with 34 Vreni Schneider, Erika Hess and Janica Kostelic with 21 of 20 slalom victories. In her career Parson was able to win the World Cup eleven giant slalom and also three times the giant slalom World Cup standings. Thus, it is one in this discipline to the most successful runners in history.

In addition, access Parson as one of four athletes eleven wins in a season (2003/ 04 ), which so far only Lindsey Vonn (2009 /10), Annemarie Moser -Pröll (1974 /75) and Tina Maze (2012/ 2013) reached. More victories only managed Vreni Schneider with 14 won races in the 1988/89 and Lindsey Vonn season with 12 wins in the season 2011/12

In the ranking of the top 10 finishes in World Cup races Parson is currently in second place behind Renate Götschl. Götschl drove 198 times into the top ten, Parson 196 times.

Others

Parson in 2003 his residence to Monaco - for tax reasons, but also to escape the Swedish tabloids. The summer training she denied mainly there and in Switzerland. In 2008, she announced that she would resign after the 2010 Winter Olympics. After the 2009/2010 season, she decided to continue her career, however.

The hallmark Pärsons was the " abdominal splash ", with whom she celebrated their victories. She takes a short run-up, throws himself to the floor and slips on his stomach with his arms outstretched and legs through the finish area. In her spare time involved Parson whose nickname is " Sweden bomb " is, as an athlete ambassador of development organization Right to Play. Parson is a member of FIS Athletes' Commission.

In June 2012, Parson known in a radio interview publicly their homosexuality and their relationship with a longtime girlfriend. They also announced that they are expecting a child. Pärsons partner brought on 4 July 2012 to a son.

Achievements

Olympic games

• Salt Lake City 2002: 2 Giant Slalom, Slalom 3
• Turin 2006: 1 Slalom, 3rd exit, 3 combination, 6 Giant Slalom, Super -G 12
• Vancouver 2010: 3rd Super Combined 11 Super -G, Giant Slalom 22

World Championships

• St. Anton am Arlberg 2001: 1st Slalom, Giant Slalom 3
• St. Moritz 2003: 1 Giant Slalom, Slalom 4
• Bormio 2005: 1 Super -G, Giant Slalom 1st, 2nd combination, exit 7
• Åre 2007: 1st exit, first Super -G, 1 Super Combined 2nd team competition, 3rd slalom
• Val d'Isere 2009: slalom 9, 12 downhill, giant slalom 15
• Garmisch -Partenkirchen 2011: 3rd Super Combined, 3rd team competition, 9 Giant Slalom 10th Super -G, downhill 11

Junior World Championships

• Megève 1998: 1st Giant Slalom, Slalom 3
• Pra Loup 1999: 1st slalom
• Quebec 2000: 1 Giant Slalom, Slalom 3, 3 Super G

World Cup ratings

Anja Parson has twice won the World Cup (2004, 2005). In addition, five wins in discipline ratings.

Top 10 results in total and in the discipline World Cups:

• Season 1998/99: 3 Slalom World Cup
• Season 1999/ 00: 3 Slalom World Cup
• Season 2000/ 01: 2nd Giant Slalom World Cup
• Season 2001/ 02: 5 Overall World Cup, 3rd giant slalom World Cup, 3rd World Cup Slalom
• Season 2002/ 03: 3rd Overall World Cup giant slalom World Cup 1, 2 slalom World Cup
• Season 2003/ 04: 1 World Cup, 1 giant slalom World Cup, 1st slalom World Cup
• Season 2004/ 05: first overall World Cup, second giant slalom World Cup, 2nd Combined World Cup, 4th World Cup super-G, slalom World Cup 6th, 8th downhill World Cup
• Season 2005/ 06: 2nd Overall World Cup, 1 giant slalom World Cup, 2nd Combined World Cup, 3rd World Cup slalom, downhill World Cup 7, 9 super- G World Cup
• Season 2006/ 07: 5 Overall World Cup downhill World Cup 4, 6 Super - G World Cup
• Season 2007/ 08: 6 Overall World Cup, 3rd Combined World Cup, downhill World Cup 4, 7 Super - G World Cup
• Season 2008/ 09: 3rd Overall World Cup, 1st Combined World Cup, 4 Super - G World Cup, 7th downhill World Cup 10 World Cup slalom
• Season 2009/ 10: 3 Overall World Cup, 2nd Combined World Cup, 3rd World Cup downhill, super- G World Cup 7, 10 giant slalom World Cup
• Season 2010/ 11: 8 Overall World Cup, fifth downhill World Cup, 5th Super - G World Cup, 6th Combined World Cup
• Season 2011/12: 9 Combined World Cup

Overall, Anja Parson (6x departure, 4x Super -G, Giant Slalom 11x, 18x slalom, 3x super combined ) and a total of 94 podium finishes ( 42x First, 30x Second, Third 22x ) has won 42 World Cup races reached.

World Cup wins

Departure ( 6x)

* Coinciding with Dominique Gisin

Super -G ( 4x)

Giant Slalom ( 11x)

Slalom (18x including, KO Slalom *)

Super Combined (3x)

European Cup

• Season 1997/98: 3rd overall, 1st Giant Slalom rating
• 6 podiums, including two victories:

Other successes

• Anja Parson is ten times Swedish champion: Departure: 2001, 2003 and 2010
• Giant Slalom: 1998, 2003 and 2005
• Slalom: 2005
• Combination: 2000, 2001 and 2003

Source

• World Sports Archives, Issue 46 /2004 ( Munzinger archive)