Hirscher edges Ligety for Birds of Prey GS win

By Published On: December 4th, 2011Comments Off on Hirscher edges Ligety for Birds of Prey GS win

Ted Ligety put it on the line. Marcel Hirscher was still better.

It was a classic GS contest on a fabulous course. The cleanest skier won as Hirscher sliced down the final pitch to claim a .16 margin of victory and gave the Austrian men their first win of the season.

“In Austria Ted is (considered) unbreakable,” said Hirscher, “so it’s a pretty big success for me to beat him today. But we’ll see, I think Teddy will be back on Tuesday.”

Posting a huge result for the German squad was Fritz Dopfer with the first GS podium for a German male since Tobias Barnerssoi placed third at Kranjska Gora, when Dopfer was seven years old.

On a weekend when the U.S. alpine team had already collected four wins, the second place from Ligety left an unreasonable expectation vibrating in the clear air of the Colorado mountains, but put in perspective, the US had managed 155 GS podiums in somewhere near 2400 chances. Second place just isn’t that bad.

A man with some perspective is head coach Sasha Rearick. “Ted skied a fantastic first run and second run, too. I mean there were a couple little mistakes but Hirscher. … hats off to Hirscher because the skiing he did today especially on the second run at the bottom here was amazing skiing, aggressive and clean on his skis. That was great competition out here today.”

Ligety said an error near the bottom of the second run was what cost him his tenth win. “I know exactly where I lost it, when I had a little bobble on the bottom…being second place is obviously good but I was really wanting to win more than anything.”

The Americans could also rejoice in the showing of Tommy Ford, finishing 22nd despite a huge error on his first run.

“I came in a little direct in that turn, and didn’t quite move over my skis and I was definitely fatigued there and compressed. I just gotta be over the skis more and keep moving the whole way.” He vowed not to stop taking risks.

Though Ford finished nearly three seconds out, fourth place finisher Kjetil Jansrud was a second off the incredible skiing of both Hirscher and Ligety.

With another GS added to the Beaver Creek schedule next Tuesday, Rearick said he was looking forward to the opportunity. “We’re excited to have another GS here, especially with Tommy Ford skiing so great in the second run. … He’s got some wicked speed and if we can get him skiing with that kind of confidence on Tuesday, it’s going to be fun.”

Ligety said he had adjusted his ski set-up between runs. “I adjusted my setup so it was a little better for the second run just because the snow’s so aggressive it’s hard to really anticipate what your skis are going to do they can hook up so quickly on this snow, you have to kinda just be on top of your stuff.”

Gepa photo

The SCOOP
by Hank McKee

Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom, Beaver Creek, USA, Dec. 4, 2011
Equipment

Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Ligety, Head/Head/Head
3 Dopfer, Nordica/Nordica/
4 Jansrud, Head/Head/Head
5 Sandell, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
6 Richard, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
7 Schoerghofer, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
8 Janka, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
9 Pinturault, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
9 Svindal, Head/Head/Head

Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom, Beaver Creek, USA, Dec. 4, 2011. … It is the sixth race of the men’s 45 race 2011-12 World Cup schedule. … the second of nine scheduled giant slaloms. … It is the 44th World Cup hosted by Beaver Creek. … the ninth GS. …It is the third of three originally scheduled races at Beaver Creek this season and the third of six now scheduled and the first of two GS’s scheduled.

It is the fifth career World Cup win for Marcel Hirscher. … his third in GS. … his first in almost a full year. … It is his second podium at Beaver Creek having placed third in this same race last season.

It is the 27th career World Cup podium placing for Ted Ligety. … his 20th in GS. … It is his fifth Cup podium result at Beaver Creek – fourth in GS – including last season’s GS win.

It is the first career World Cup podium result for Fritz Dopfer in 10 scoring results… His previous best finish had been 12th at Kranjska Gora in GS March 5, 2011. … It is the first GS podium for a German male since Tobias Barnerssoi was third at Kranjska Gora Jan. 8, 1994.

It is the second GS score of the season for Jean-Philippe Roy and one placing better than his Soelden finish in October. … It is the seventh career scoring result for Tommy Ford and third of the season.

Aksel Lund Svindal (9th in race) leads the World Cup overall standings 294-260 over Didier Cuche (12th in race). … Beat Feuz (16th in race) sits third with 246pts. … Bode Miller (did not qualify for a second run) is the top American in fourth with 197pts and Ted Ligety is fifth with 189pts. … Jan Hudec (did not race) is the top Canadian in 15th with 96pts. … Ligety leads the GS standings 180-140 over Hirscher. … Alexis Pinturault (9th in race) is third at 109. … Roy is the top Canadian in 21st with 19pts. … Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup 986-897 over Switzerland. … France is third with 622pts. … The US is tied for fourth with Norway with 470pts and Canada is sixth with 272pts.

Place   Beaver Creek (USA)   Discipline   Giant Slalom
Date   04.12.2011   Category   FIS World Cup
Race codex   1593   Gender   M
Valid for FIS Points   YES   TD Name   Lashley Bradford (CAN)
       
  

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  8  53831 HIRSCHER Marcel  1989  AUT   1:18.74  1:19.71  2:38.45  0.00
 2  2  534562 LIGETY Ted  1984  USA   1:18.53  1:20.08  2:38.61  0.88
 3  24  202462 DOPFER Fritz  1987  GER   1:19.12  1:19.95  2:39.07  3.40
 4  7  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil  1985  NOR   1:19.24  1:20.33  2:39.57  6.15
 5  23  180534 SANDELL Marcus  1987  FIN   1:19.83  1:19.93  2:39.76  7.19
 6  3  191423 RICHARD Cyprien  1979  FRA   1:19.47  1:20.30  2:39.77  7.25
 7  5  51007 SCHOERGHOFER Philipp  1983  AUT   1:19.48  1:20.33  2:39.81  7.47
 8  4  511313 JANKA Carlo  1986  SUI   1:19.79  1:20.22  2:40.01  8.57
 9  13  194364 PINTURAULT Alexis  1991  FRA   1:19.58  1:20.46  2:40.04  8.73
 9  6  421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund  1982  NOR   1:19.72  1:20.32  2:40.04  8.73
 11  1  191750 FANARA Thomas  1981  FRA   1:19.60  1:20.47  2:40.07  8.89
 12  9  510030 CUCHE Didier  1974  SUI   1:19.74  1:20.37  2:40.11  9.11
 13  27  421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian  1987  NOR   1:18.90  1:21.27  2:40.17  9.44
 13  18  292120 SIMONCELLI Davide  1979  ITA   1:19.84  1:20.33  2:40.17  9.44
 15  10  50742 REICHELT Hannes  1980  AUT   1:20.05  1:20.53  2:40.58  11.70
 16  33  511383 FEUZ Beat  1987  SUI   1:20.16  1:20.53  2:40.69  12.30
 17  38  990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni  1990  ITA   1:20.30  1:20.48  2:40.78  12.79
 18  12  51215 BAUMANN Romed  1986  AUT   1:19.68  1:21.15  2:40.83  13.07
 19  19  501324 OLSSON Matts  1988  SWE   1:19.99  1:21.02  2:41.01  14.06
 20  28  420148 KARLSEN Truls Ove  1975  NOR   1:20.05  1:20.98  2:41.03  14.17
 21  50  101895 ROY Jean-Philippe  1979  CAN   1:20.16  1:20.91  2:41.07  14.39
 22  36  531799 FORD Tommy  1989  USA   1:20.34  1:21.07  2:41.41  16.25
 23  17  192506 MISSILLIER Steve  1984  FRA   1:19.98  1:21.51  2:41.49  16.69
 24  31  510727 DEFAGO Didier  1977  SUI   1:20.36  1:21.15  2:41.51  16.80
 25  22  292491 MOELGG Manfred  1982  ITA   1:20.50  1:21.24  2:41.74  18.06
 26  15  292000 BLARDONE Massimiliano  1979  ITA   1:20.60  1:21.28  2:41.88  18.83
 27  21  510997 BERTHOD Marc  1983  SUI   1:19.96  1:22.14  2:42.10  20.04
 28  47  501017 MYHRER Andre  1983  SWE   1:20.03  1:23.16  2:43.19  26.03
Did not start 1st run
   45  51159 NOESIG Christoph  1985  AUT         
   37  534038 NICKERSON Warner  1981  USA         
Did not qualify 1st run
   62  561216 KLINE Bostjan  1991  SLO         
   61  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko  1986  CRO         
   59  292455 FILL Peter  1982  ITA         
   58  534507 CHRISTIANSON Charles  1984  USA         
   54  192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas  1984  FRA         
   53  990081 CASSE Mattia  1990  ITA         
   51  51401 GRAF Bernhard  1988  AUT         
   48  102961 DIXON Robbie  1985  CAN         
   46  150644 KRYZL Krystof  1986  CZE         
   44  511908 SCHMIDIGER Reto  1992  SUI         
   42  292967 EISATH Florian  1984  ITA         
   41  421650 BJERKESTRAND Iver  1987  NOR         
   39  534959 JITLOFF Tim  1985  USA         
   35  293006 INNERHOFER Christof  1984  ITA         
   34  192746 THEAUX Adrien  1984  FRA         
   32  192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste  1984  FRA         
   30  192653 FREY Thomas  1984  FRA         
   29  510993 ALBRECHT Daniel  1983  SUI         
   26  290693 PLONER Alexander  1978  ITA         
   20  150398 BANK Ondrej  1980  CZE         
   16  532431 MILLER Bode  1977  USA         
   14  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica  1979  CRO         
Did not finish 2nd run
   43  421859 NILSEN Markus  1989  NOR         
   11  50625 RAICH Benjamin  1978  AUT         
Did not finish 1st run
   63  501076 OLSSON Hans  1984  SWE         
   60  53902 MAYER Matthias  1990  AUT         
   57  180570 ROMAR Andreas  1989  FIN         
   56  100558 COOK Dustin  1989  CAN         
   55  531452 BIESEMEYER Thomas  1989  USA         
   52  294911 PATSCHEIDER Hagen  1988  ITA         
   49  191778 PICHOT Sebastien  1981  FRA         
   40  930107 GREGORAK Will  1990  USA         
   25  511352 VILETTA Sandro  1986  SUI       

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”