Another win for Hirscher as Ligety misses podium opportunity

By Published On: December 14th, 2014Comments Off on Another win for Hirscher as Ligety misses podium opportunity
Russian Alexander Khoroshilov on his way to a career-first podium in Are. GEPA

Russian Alexander Khoroshilov on his way to a career-first podium in Are. GEPA

It wasn’t nearly as dominant as his GS performance earlier in the weekend, but an additional 100 points were the result for Marcel Hirscher at Sunday’s slalom in Are, Sweden. With the win, the Austrian regains the lead in the overall standings ahead of his dominant counterpart on the speed side, Kjetil Jansrud.

The Swedish venue does not often host the men’s World Cup tour — the last time was in 2009. The weekend’s events had to be thrown together due to a lack of snow in Val d’Isere, France. An “easier” slope, the hill in Sweden rewards clean skiing and athletes who can best carry speed. But the overly ambitious can also find themselves blowing out.

Hirscher, who finished with a combined time of 1 minute, 40.37 seconds, had to battle strong challenges from the likes of Felix Neureuther, who won the first run but couldn’t quite hang on to the lead in the second. The German was fast out of the start but got late in the middle part of the course, which ultimately proved to be the difference. He finished in second place by one-tenth of a second behind the Austrian.

Hirscher was not initially thrilled that these events were moved to Are — he didn’t think the hill necessarily suited him — but with two wins in two races, who can complain?

“After this weekend, I have to say, ‘I don’t care if we are racing in Val d’Isere or here,’” Hirscher said. “It is an unbelievable week and 200 points. … It is good that I am in perfect shape and can ski with the fastest guys on the World Cup tour. But in general, it doesn’t matter if you have the (red leader’s) bib right now.”

Asked to comment on the upcoming tech events in Alta Badia and Campiglio, Hirscher simply said, “Good. Nice hotel. That’s it.”

Neureuther had a slow start to the season due to back injury; there were rumors he had tweaked it again and his participation in the race was in jeopardy. A win would have placed Neureuther in exclusive company among his countrymen. With nine World Cup victories to his name, Neureuther would have been the first German man to reach the double-figure mark in terms of World Cup wins. Instead, he remains tied with Markus Wasmeier with nine (including wins for West Germany).

“Today was very good, very close to Marcel,” said Neureuther. “I just need some more training and the I think I can get into better shape. … I still have to be a little bit careful (with my injury). I can’t do quite as many runs, like the others do. But those runs that I make, I really have to focus so that they are good.”

Neureuther said GS is more challenging in his current condition because of the “extreme positions” the discipline requires.

In third, it was a career-first podium for Alexander Khoroshilov, though he had been knocking on the door with five top-10 finishes, most recently placing eighth in Levi. It had been 33 years since a Russian slalom racer landed on the World Cup podium. Outside the discipline, it is also the first podium for Russia since Olesja Alieva was third in downhill at Lenzerheide in 2000.

Third after the first run, Ted Ligety was on the verge of doing something he hasn’t done since 2008 — finish on the World Cup slalom podium. Between runs, he called his position “bizarre,” according to TV reports, just .44 seconds out of the lead. However, the Swedish set proved less favorable for Ligety the second time through: More offset likely caused problems for the GS specialist as he became late, eventually straddled and then skied out.

“Ted was charging and having a good run,” said men’s head coach Sasha Rearick. “Unfortunately, when you are going for it ‘full throttle’ there is a risk of straddle when the course is fast and snow is grippy like it was at the bottom, due to the cold inversion. Ted was doing what he needed to do to step on the podium today. I am stoked that he was sending it with confidence.”

For the Swedes, it was a remarkable day, but also likely bittersweet. The home team finished fourth, fifth and sixth just off the podium — Mattias Hargin, Axel Baeck and Calle Lindh, in that order. The most impressive result belongs to the 24-year-old Lindh, who started 62nd, jumped to 29th after the first run and finished sixth on the day. His previous best result was 14th at the GS in Soelden this season, but prior to that, he had never finished in the World Cup points.

American David Chodounsky finished first run in 20th. His second effort was marred by a serious mistake and an athletic recovery that kept him in the course but undoubtedly cost him speed in the lower half of the run. He still managed to finish 22nd.

Alexis Pinturault had a questionable second run, clearly straddling but skiing through to the finish. He was officially disqualified after the race. Levi slalom winner Henrik Kristofferson also went home empty-handed due to a straddle very early in the first run.

Other noteworthy performances included a personal best from Great Britain’s Dave Ryding, who finished 17th, and Norway’s Espen Lysdahl, an NCAA athlete at the University of Denver, who jumped from bib 42 to finish in the points for the first time, ninth on the day. Canadian Erik Read, son of famed speed skier Ken Read, also collected the first World Cup points of his career by placing 24th.

See more photos from today’s race here.

 

THE SCOOP

By Hank McKee

  1. Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  2. Neureuther, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
  3. Khoroshilov, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
  4. Hargin, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  5. Baeck, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  6. Lindh, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  7. Dopfer, Nordica/Nordica/
  8. Byggmark, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
  9. Lysdahl, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  10. Thaler, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer

Men’s World Cup slalom, Are, Sweden, Dec. 14, 2014:

  • It is the ninth race of the men’s 36 race 2014-15 World Cup calendar … the second of 10 slaloms including a parallel city event. … The race is a relocated one moved from Val d’Isere due to a lack of snow and warm temperatures. … It is the 93rd World Cup race held at Are, the fourth of six scheduled this season.
  • It is the 26th career World Cup win for Marcel Hirscher … his 14th in slalom, matching him with Benjamin Raich for most slalom wins by an Austrian male. … It is his third win of the season and second of the weekend. … The winning margin is .10. … The top five are within the same second.
  • It is the 30th career World Cup podium placing for Felix Neureuther and second of the season… It is his best result at Are, eclipsing his father’s fourth place from 1971.
  • It is the first career World Cup podium for Alexander Khoroshilov. … It is the first podium for Russia since Olesja Alieva was third in downhill at Lenzerheide March 5, 2000.
  • It is the third scoring result of the season for David Chodounsky, his second in slalom. … It is the first-career scoring result for Canadian Erik Read, son of famed speed skier Ken Read. It is also the first-career scoring result and first top 10 for the University of Denver’s Espen Lysdahl, representing Norway.
  • Hirscher moves past Kjetil Jansrud for the lead of the World Cup overall standings 440-412. … Ted Ligety (DNF 2nd run in race) is third at 246pts.
  • Hirscher also leads the slalom standings 180-140 over Felix Neureuther. … Henrik Kristoffersen (DNF 1st run in race) is third with 100pts. … Julien Cousineau leads the Canadians on the slalom list in 25th with 15pts. … Chodounsky leads the U.S. in 26th with 14pts.
  • Austria leads the mens Nations Cup 1363-841 over France. … Italy is third with 800pts. … The U.S. is sixth at 589pts and Canada ninth at 320.

 

RESULTS

 1  4  53831 HIRSCHER Marcel 1989 AUT  50.52  49.85  1:40.37  0.00
 2  5  201702 NEUREUTHER Felix 1984 GER  50.27  50.20  1:40.47  +0.10  0.72
 3  19  480736 KHOROSHILOV Alexander 1984 RUS  50.92  49.60  1:40.52  +0.15  1.08
 4  2  501111 HARGIN Mattias 1985 SWE  51.15  49.74  1:40.89  +0.52  3.73
 5  18  501223 BAECK Axel 1987 SWE  50.93  50.24  1:41.17  +0.80  5.74
 6  62  501458 LINDH Calle 1990 SWE  52.21  49.29  1:41.50  +1.13  8.11
 7  7  202462 DOPFER Fritz 1987 GER  51.27  50.26  1:41.53  +1.16  8.32
 8  9  501101 BYGGMARK Jens 1985 SWE  50.97  50.64  1:41.61  +1.24  8.90
 9  42  421954 LYSDAHL Espen 1990 NOR  51.43  50.34  1:41.77  +1.40  10.04
 10  3  290732 THALER Patrick 1978 ITA  51.22  50.64  1:41.86  +1.49  10.69
 11  17  422082 SOLEVAAG Sebastian-Foss 1991 NOR  52.29  49.61  1:41.90  +1.53  10.98
 12  8  293797 GROSS Stefano 1986 ITA  51.70  50.29  1:41.99  +1.62  11.62
 13  30  191459 LIZEROUX Julien 1979 FRA  52.10  49.98  1:42.08  +1.71  12.27
 14  27  511996 YULE Daniel 1993 SUI  51.55  50.58  1:42.13  +1.76  12.63
 15  14  501017 MYHRER Andre 1983 SWE  51.79  50.36  1:42.15  +1.78  12.77
 16  35  193967 MUFFAT-JEANDET Victor 1989 FRA  52.17  50.13  1:42.30  +1.93  13.84
 17  39  220689 RYDING Dave 1986 GBR  51.92  50.45  1:42.37  +2.00  14.35
 18  37  50981 HOERL Wolfgang 1983 AUT  51.65  50.85  1:42.50  +2.13  15.28
 19  40  511902 ZENHAEUSERN Ramon 1992 SUI  51.90  50.61  1:42.51  +2.14  15.35
 20  10  50605 HERBST Reinfried 1978 AUT  51.66  50.94  1:42.60  +2.23  16.00
 21  15  192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste 1984 FRA  52.15  50.58  1:42.73  +2.36  16.93
 22  23  534508 CHODOUNSKY David 1984 USA  51.86  50.93  1:42.79  +2.42  17.36
 23  25  293098 RAZZOLI Giuliano 1984 ITA  51.69  51.12  1:42.81  +2.44  17.50
 24  54  103729 READ Erik 1991 CAN  52.14  51.40  1:43.54  +3.17  22.74
 25  34  320266 JUNG Dong-hyun 1988 KOR  52.18  57.13  1:49.31  +8.94  64.13
Disqualified 2nd run
 11  194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA
Did not start 1st run
 60  512014 NIEDERBERGER Bernhard 1993 SUI
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 69  430610 STARZYK Pawel 1993 POL
 64  180718 HENTTINEN Jens 1993 FIN
 63  934523 ENGEL Mark 1991 USA
 61  511174 VOGEL Markus 1984 SUI
 59  532138 KASPER Nolan 1989 USA
 57  193986 PLACE Francois 1989 FRA
 56  511896 MURISIER Justin 1992 SUI
 55  180703 PALONIEMI Santeri 1993 FIN
 52  380335 ZUBCIC Filip 1993 CRO
 51  511908 SCHMIDIGER Reto 1992 SUI
 50  380290 SAMSAL Dalibor 1985 HUN
 49  103676 BROWN Phil 1991 CAN
 48  103865 PHILP Trevor 1992 CAN
 47  291318 TONETTI Riccardo 1989 ITA
 46  194207 THEOLIER Steven 1990 FRA
 44  561117 KUERNER Miha 1987 SLO
 43  201891 SCHMID Philipp 1986 GER
 41  102239 COUSINEAU Julien 1981 CAN
 36  6290183 RONCI Giordano 1992 ITA
 32  421860 NORDBOTTEN Jonathan 1989 NOR
 31  291145 DEVILLE Cristian 1981 ITA
 29  700830 ZAMPA Adam 1990 SVK
 24  511983 AERNI Luca 1993 SUI
 21  192506 MISSILLIER Steve 1984 FRA
Did not finish 2nd run
 20  50625 RAICH Benjamin 1978 AUT
 16  534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA
 12  500656 LARSSON Markus 1979 SWE
 1  50707 MATT Mario 1979 AUT
Did not finish 1st run
 68  481103 ANDRIENKO Aleksander 1990 RUS
 67  700879 ZAMPA Andreas 1993 SVK
 66  150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE
 65  990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni 1990 ITA
 58  150644 KRYZL Krystof 1986 CZE
 53  481327 TRIKHICHEV Pavel 1992 RUS
 45  561148 SKUBE Matic 1988 SLO
 38  202451 STRASSER Linus 1992 GER
 33  530165 BRANDENBURG Will 1987 USA
 28  421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian 1987 NOR
 26  301709 YUASA Naoki 1983 JPN
 22  501116 LAHDENPERAE Anton 1985 SWE
 13  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO
 6  422304 KRISTOFFERSEN Henrik 1994 NOR

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.