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TARVISIO, Italy (Reuters) - World champion Anja Paerson of Sweden led after the downhill stage of the final super-combined event of the women's Alpine ski World Cup season on Friday.
In an echo of the finishing order from the Are world championships last month, American Julia Mancuso was lying second, just 0.04 seconds behind Paerson, with Austrian Marlies Schild third, a further 0.06 seconds back.
Technical specialist Schild can win the new super-combined World Cup trophy with a good showing in the slalom second leg of the event.

Austrian Renate Goetschl, who injured both knees in a downhill training crash on Thursday, did not start the rain-delayed race. Goetschl trailed Schild by just 33 points in the overall standings before Friday's race.
Their team mate Kathrin Zettel was taken to hospital with a suspected knee injury after crashing heavily on Friday.
The downhill start was postponed by more than an hour due to rain but the conditions did not prevent Paerson showing the kind of form that took her to the gold medal in Are.
"I was very happy with my run. The slope was a bit bumpy, but it was okay," said Paerson, who won the overall World Cup title in 2004 and 2005 but is out of the reckoning this year after making a slow start to the season start following knee surgery.

"I was exhausted when I crossed the finish line. It's a long run here and it's been a long season too, and I'm not as strong as usual.
"I'm looking forward to the slalom. It's always exciting to be leading after the downhill."
More surprising was the excellent run by Schild, who tops the super-combined standings on 160 points and is favorite to take the title this weekend but usually finishes further off the lead in the downhill stage.
"I'm really surprised. I wasn't feeling so comfortable on this course because of the conditions but I'm really happy with the result. I can't wait for the second run in the slalom," she said.



Schild's nearest challenger in the race for the super-combined title, compatriot Michaela Kirchgasser (116 points), finished 13th in the downhill, 1.06 seconds behind Paerson.
Mancuso is third in the super-combined standings on 115. Her chances of overhauling Schild in the standings also looked slim, despite her second place in the downhill.
"I had a good run. Let's see what happens in the slalom," the world silver medalist said.