Torino Diary: Paerson's Pa

With doubts lingering over the fitness of reigning Olympic champion Janica Kostelic of Croatia, Paerson, who won bronze in Wednesday's opening downhill race, is amongst the favourites to take the combined event.

Paerson senior hopes that Kostelic will nevertheless shrug off her illness in time to set up an appetising battle between the two 25-year-olds.

"I really hope that Janica is healthy tomorrow so that we can get a good fight between the two girls," he said.

"I think it is going to be a duel between Anja and Janica, but of course, [Austria's Nicole] Hosp wants to play as well."

Anders Paerson told Eurosport that Anja was feeling calm and composed ahead of her next medal objective. "She is fine. She is ready. We chose not to train today. We went to watch some other sports because that's what the Olympics is all about. So many other sports are going on and, for once, being able to watch another sport was great."

Mr Paerson was, however, slightly critical of the icy piste where the two slalom legs will be raced on Wednesday.

"They have put water on the course so it is incredibly hard," he said. "It is going to be fair conditions for everybody, but I must say that it has been a while since we've raced on conditions like this. The ladies usually don't have such icy courses, normally it's just hard and compact snow."

Besides Kostelic and Hosp, Paerson labelled Austria's Marlies Schild, second in this year's world cup slalom standings, as another threat to his daughter.

"Schild is pretty strong - I think it will be an interesting combined. I just hope that the weather will be good, and that, especially in the downhill, the wind will not play too big a role."