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Slovenia's Tina Maze won the final women's race of the World Cup season in Are, Sweden while Finland's Tanja Poutiainen took the giant slalom title.

Maze, who also won a giant slalom at home in Maribor this season, clocked two minutes and 26.41 seconds over the two legs to beat Poutiainen (pictured) by 1:12.

Italy's Manuela Moelgg was third, 1:39 adrift.

Pre-race favourite Kathrin Zettel of Austria finished eighth and, despite her four World Cup wins in the discipline this winter, missed out in the races that mattered.

Zettel won the super-combined gold at the Val d'Isere world championships but failed in the giant slalom after an error-ridden second run while seemingly heading for an easy victory.

In Are she was unable to defend her 41-points lead over Poutiainen, one of the most consistent skiers in the world, who eventually beat her by seven points.

Consistency paid off for the Finn, bronze medallist at the world championships, who also won the giant slalom crystal globe in 2005.

Reuters