Ted Ligety IS Mr GS. Wins big at Beaver Creek

By Published On: December 2nd, 2012Comments Off on Ted Ligety IS Mr GS. Wins big at Beaver Creek

We are growing to expect this, when Mr. GS puts his skis on rails high above the gate and carves seamless turn, after turn, after turn. Ted Ligety is simply the most solid GS skier in the world right now. After two races, he owns an average winning margin of 2.25 seconds.

Ligety had been the first racer out of the start in the first run and quickly blew through the early morning sun (9:45am start) and threw down the gauntlet for the rest to contemplate. In the afternoon heat, on a day that reminded more of a March competition than early December, he was even more incredible. Pressure put on by a pair of Italians (Davide Simoncelli finished third on the day and Manfred Moelgg fourth) and heightened when Marcel Hirscher recorded a strong finishing leg to take the lead.

Apparently, Ligety eats pressure for breakfast. For although he says he feels some anxiety before he skis GS, he showed no nerves, instead exuding supreme confidence as he carved up the Birds of Prey course for his second GS win in two GS starts this season.

“He is at another level,” said Simoncelli.

“At the moment he is unbeatable.  I think it means months, maybe years,” said Hirscher.

Ligety says he expects the others to catch up much quicker than that.

Right now, however, the consensus is, as Hirscher said: “Ted is Mr GS and why not? He is the best GS skier right now.”

The scary thing is Ligety says there’s room for improvement.

“It’s very rare in ski racing to have close to a perfect run. I didn’t make big mistakes, I had my skis right in the fall line, but I didn’t think I was perfect. I don’t think anybody felt that good.”

Perhaps, but Mr. GS’s form always seems just about perfect no matter what angle the image is captured from. We asked Jonathan Selko a FIS Journalism Award winner, how many shots he has taken of Ligety when his form wasn’t spot on. The reply: “none.”

Gepa photo

MORE TO COME

The SCOOP
by Hank McKee
Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom, Beaver Creek, Colo., Dec. 2, 2012
Equipment

Skier, skis/boots/binding
1 Ligety, Head/Head/Head
2 Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Simoncelli, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
4 Moelgg, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
5 Pinturault, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
6 Svindal, Head/Head/Head
7 Jansrud, Head/Head/Head
7 Dopfer, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
9 Blardone, Dynastar/Lange/Look
10 Noesig, Fischer/Lange/unknown

Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom, Beaver Creek, Colo., Dec. 2, 2012
. … It is the 13th of 74 races on the 2012-13 World Cup schedule. … The seventh of 36 men’s races and the second of eight men’s GS’s. … It is the 50th World Cup race conducted at Beaver Creek. … the 11th GS.

It is the 13th career World Cup win for Ted Ligety. … All in GS and extending his US record. … It is the third time he has won a Cup GS at Beaver Creek. … It is his second win of the season both of them coming in the two GS’s held to date.

It is the 30th career World Cup podium placing for Marcel Hirscher. … his 13th in GS. … He has been on the podium in his last five completed races at Beaver Creek. … It is his third podium of the season.

It is the eighth World Cup podium result for Davide Simoncelli. … all coming in GS. … It is his first podium since March 12, 2010.

It is the 12th career World Cup scoring result for Tommy Ford. … his third best of four scoring finishes at Beaver Creek. … It is the 19th Cup scoring result for Tim Jitloff. … his fourth best of four at Beaver Creek.

Aksel Lund Svindal (sixth in race) leads the World Cup overall standings 400-320 over Ted Ligety. … Hirscher is third at 220. … Ligety leads the GS standings 200-140 over Hirscher and Moelgg in third with 130pts.

Beaver Creek (USA)
FIS World Cup
Men’s Giant Slalom
Dec. 2, 2012

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  1  534562 LIGETY Ted  1984  USA   1:13.49  1:12.10  2:25.59  0.00
 2  3  53831 HIRSCHER Marcel  1989  AUT   1:14.27  1:13.08  2:27.35  10.76
 3  8  292120 SIMONCELLI Davide  1979  ITA   1:14.59  1:13.07  2:27.66  12.65
 4  11  292491 MOELGG Manfred  1982  ITA   1:14.97  1:13.18  2:28.15  15.65
 5  4  194364 PINTURAULT Alexis  1991  FRA   1:14.93  1:13.26  2:28.19  15.89
 6  12  421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund  1982  NOR   1:16.04  1:12.30  2:28.34  16.81
 7  14  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil  1985  NOR   1:15.85  1:12.83  2:28.68  18.89
 7  10  202462 DOPFER Fritz  1987  GER   1:15.78  1:12.90  2:28.68  18.89
 9  5  292000 BLARDONE Massimiliano  1979  ITA   1:16.18  1:12.69  2:28.87  20.05
 10  44  51159 NOESIG Christoph  1985  AUT   1:17.05  1:11.85  2:28.90  20.23
 11  13  191423 RICHARD Cyprien  1979  FRA   1:15.37  1:13.70  2:29.07  21.27
 12  7  50742 REICHELT Hannes  1980  AUT   1:15.39  1:13.80  2:29.19  22.01
 13  36  202437 LUITZ Stefan  1992  GER   1:15.97  1:13.27  2:29.24  22.31
 13  16  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica  1979  CRO   1:15.93  1:13.31  2:29.24  22.31
 15  22  180534 SANDELL Marcus  1987  FIN   1:15.99  1:13.28  
2:29.27
 22.50
 16  55  53902 MAYER Matthias  1990  AUT   1:17.16  1:12.29  2:29.45  23.60
 17  37  201702 NEUREUTHER Felix  1984  GER   1:15.64  1:13.83  2:29.47  23.72
 17  19  53985 MATHIS Marcel  1991  AUT   1:16.71  1:12.76  2:29.47  23.72
 19  2  51007 SCHOERGHOFER Philipp  1983  AUT   1:15.31  1:14.26  2:29.57  24.33
 20  27  191746 DE TESSIERES Gauthier  1981  FRA   1:17.18  1:12.43  2:29.61  24.57
 21  43  421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian  1987  NOR   1:16.44  1:13.38  2:29.82  25.86
 22  20  192506 MISSILLIER Steve  1984  FRA   1:16.02  1:13.93  2:29.95  26.65
 23  17  51215 BAUMANN Romed  1986  AUT   1:16.51  1:13.51  2:30.02  27.08
 24  21  511313 JANKA Carlo  1986  SUI   1:16.95  1:13.31  2:30.26  28.55
 25  30  292967 EISATH Florian  1984  ITA   1:16.82  1:13.57  2:30.39  29.34
 26  29  531799 FORD Tommy  1989  USA   1:16.69  1:13.88  2:30.57  30.44
 27  26  534959 JITLOFF Tim  1985  USA   1:16.57  1:14.13  2:30.70  31.24
 28  33  194495 FAIVRE Mathieu  1992  FRA   1:17.00  1:13.80  2:30.80  31.85
 29  34  561032 JAZBEC Janez  1984  SLO   1:16.66  1:14.37  2:31.03  33.26
 30  9  50625 RAICH Benjamin  1978  AUT   1:15.64  1:16.63  2:32.27  40.84
Did not qualify for 2nd run
   69  60236 VAN DEN BROECKE Dries  1995  BEL         
   65  40489 LAIDLAW Luke  1992  AUS         
   64  561217 KOSI Klemen  1991  SLO         
   59  180570 ROMAR Andreas  1989  FIN         
   54  191778 PICHOT Sebastien  1981  FRA         
   51  510997 BERTHOD Marc  1983  SUI         
   50  511718 PLEISCH Manuel  1990  SUI         
   49  511852 CAVIEZEL Gino  1992  SUI         
   48  150644 KRYZL Krystof  1986  CZE         
   47  192653 FREY Thomas  1984  FRA         
   46  930160 KELLEY Robby  1990  USA         
   45  103865 PHILP Trevor  1992  CAN         
   42  700830 ZAMPA Adam  1990  SVK         
   40  103676 BROWN Philip  1991  CAN         
   39  103729 READ Erik  1991  CAN         
   31  192746 THEAUX Adrien  1984  FRA         
   28  101895 ROY Jean-Philippe  1979  CAN         
   25

 420148 KARLSEN Truls Ove  1975  NOR         
   24  990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni  1990  ITA         
Did not finish 1st run
   68  700879 ZAMPA Andreas  1993  SVK         
   67  511352 VILETTA Sandro  1986  SUI         
   66  30149 SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier  1980  ARG         
   63  491129 TERRA Ferran  1987  SPA         
   62  51332 SCHEIBER Florian  1987  AUT         
   61  531452 BIESEMEYER Thomas  1989  USA         
   60  934568 RUBIE Brennan  1991  USA         
   58  294890 NANI Roberto  1988  ITA         
   57  293550 MARSAGLIA Matteo  1985  ITA         
   56  511634 SPESCHA Christian  1989  SUI         
   53  100558 COOK Dustin  1989  CAN         
   52  50600 GOERGL Stephan  1978  AUT         
   41  192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas  1984  FRA         
   38  511638 TUMLER Thomas  1989  SUI         
   35  990116 DE ALIPRANDINI Luca  1990  ITA         
   32  481148 MAYTAKOV Sergei  1990  RUS         
   23  501324 OLSSON Matts  1988  SWE         
   18  501017 MYHRER Andre  1983  SWE         
   15  510727 DEFAGO Didier  1977  SUI         
   6  191750 FANARA Thomas  1981  FRA       

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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.”