Can Khoroshilov overtake Hirscher in the second run?

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – The first run of the World Alpine Ski Championship’s final event, the men’s slalom, was contested on a “hockey rink,” as Ted Ligety put it. The slow, super turny Norwegian set wasn’t entirely popular with the athletes and fans as racers were brought to a crawl over Red Tail and into the finish stadium.

Marcel Hirscher was able to maneuver the course better than anyone else, setting the leading time of 1 minute, 3.38 seconds, ahead of recent Schladming champ Alexander Khoroshilov, who sits 0.28 seconds out. Sweden’s Andre Myhrer skied to third, 0.66 seconds out.

David Chodounsky and Will Brandenburg were two of more than 40 DNFs on the first run. Ligety currently leads the Americans in 15th. He will be joined in the second run by Tim Kelley, who squeaked into the flip in 29th.

“It was definitely a tough course set,” said Kelly. “The snow was good but it definitely took a lot of energy to get your edge in the snow because it was really hard injection. The Norwegian coach used every single inch of the hill. It was the longest slalom I’ve ever skied, by far. I was making a turn and I could have had a conversation with (U.S. coach) Forest Carey, the course was so slow — I heard him word for word.”

Ligety hopes to ski a little cleaner second run and didn’t rule out the possibility of another podium.

“It’s not the nice, feel-good, hero snow that we’re used to here,” said Ligety. “I skied OK in places. I made a huge mistake. Not a spectacular one, but one that costs you tons of time down here on the flat.”

“The last few races have be straight courses,” said the Norwegian Kristoffersen. “They were really easy courses, so today it was time to change it. … I think the top was good (for me). I just didn’t get the tempo in the middle section.”

The second run of the men’s slalom is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. MT.