The Austrians turned up the slalom volume at Kranjska Gora Sunday (Jan. 31).

In the final race before the Olympics Reinfried Herbst nailed his fourth slalom win of the season preventing young teammate Marcel Hirscher from delivering an unbelievable two-race punch from back in the pack.

Julien Lizeroux posted third on the day to keep slalom leader Herbst in his sites.

American Ted Ligety got what would have been his best slalom result in two years with fourth, but was disqualified after his right ski went on the wrong side of a gate about 17 seconds before he crossed the finish line. Felix Neureuther was moved up into fourth.

Ligety said he was generally pleased with his runs and not particularly perturbed with being DQ’d.

The Kranjska Gora gate keepers were kept busy with 33 failing to finish and two DQ’s.

Canadian Michael Janyk posted his fourth top 10 of the season and the 20th of his career in tenth a little more than a second off the pace. His teammate Ryan Semple was the only other North American to make it to the second heat, but was among the four second run DNF’s. First run leader Giuliano Razzoli was poised to make a run at the Austrians but got caught with his skis off the ground, couldn’t crank around to complete a turn and straddled.

“It is a nice feeling,” said Herbst as he enjoyed his first podium at a site he has visited frequently. “I think for the last 12 years. I have driven a lot of FIS races here.”

Hirscher had come from five places out to win Saturday’s GS and was 15th after the first run in today’s slalom. The 31 year old Herbst said he had a feeling his 20 year old teammate would be dangerous again today.

“When the snow and the competition is very bumpy then he is very fast. I knew I needed a perfect run to make a victory here,” Herbst said.

So Herbst, who knows something about generating speed, set out to find that perfect run. If he did not achieve it, he was mighty close. He bumped his lead in the slalom standings to 43 points over Lizeroux the only man who can catch him, with one race remaining, for the title.

Austrian Benjamin Raich showed the depth of his skills in recovering from near disaster just above the finish as he pressed for the win. He finished sixth and will go to the Olympics as the leader of the World Cup overall standings.

Although they lead the men’s Nations Cup as usual, the Austrian dream machine has not had the season they expected with no downhill victories at all.  Herbst and Hirscher have provided all of spark with six the men’s team’s eight wins on the season, three of them in the last week.

Of his run Ligety said, “It was a nice little confidence builder, I’m pretty happy with it. I’ve been skiing well in slalom. I’ve been fast.”

U.S. Slalom coach Rudi Soulard said Ligety had made “one big mistake today on the first run and a little on one the second,” but agreed his form is good. “He’s been fast in a couple of races. … Hopefully the next slalom (at the Olympics) is a good one.”

Janyk, after having been fourth in the first run, was not excited with his tenth place finish, still he wasn’t about to throw the result away.

“I’m happy with my race, but I’m looking forward to having two great runs in the same day. I’ll take today as what it is. … So far my season is going pretty well. … But I just need to have two great runs. Then I’ll be satisfied.”

Herbst photos by GEPA

The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
Men’s slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Jan. 31, 2010
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Herbst, Blizzard/Tecnica/Marker
2 Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Lizeroux, Dynastar/Lange/Look
4 Neureuther, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Zurbriggen, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
6 Raich, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Hargin, Nordica/Nordica/
8 Kostelic, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
9 Myhrer, Nordica/Nordica/
10 Janyk, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

Men’s slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Jan. 31, 2010. … It is the 28th race of the men’s 35 race 2010 World Cup schedule. … The eighth of nine scheduled slaloms and the sixth in the month of January. … It is the 70th Cup race conducted at Kranjska Gora, the 61st for men. … It is the 36th slalom at the site. … 31st for men.

It is the ninth career World Cup win for Reinfried Herbst, all in slalom. … It is his fourth victory of the season. … It is his first win at Kranjska Gora.

It is the ninth career World Cup podium for Marcel Hirscher. … his fourth in slalom. … It is his sixth podium of the season and second in slalom.  … He was on the podium in all three races at Kranjska Gora over three days of racing. … It is his fourth career podium at the site.

It is the eighth career World Cup podium for Julien Lizeroux. … seventh in slalom. … It is his fourth podium of the season. … It is his second career podium at Kranjska Gora where he won a slalom in March 2009.

It is the 20th career top 10 World Cup result for Michael Janyk. … all of them in slalom. … It is his fifth top 10 of the season. … and the third of his career at Kranjska Gora.

Benjamin Raich (6th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 1007-897 over Carlo Janka (did not race). … Didier Cuche (did not race) is third overall with 746. … Marcel Hirscher is now fourth at 675. … Herbst maintains the lead of the slalom standings 505-462 over Julien Lizeroux with one slalom remaining. … Ivica Kostelic (8th in race) is third with 334 and cannot win the slalom crown. … Austrian leads the men’s Nations Cup 4397-3516 over the Swiss. … Italy is third at 2540. … The U.S.. is fifth with 1448pts. … Canada sixth with 1326.