Hirscher slides to lead at Ski World Cup

Victory in slalom gives Austrian Marcel Hirscher overall lead of the World Cup standings as he dislodges Norwegian.

Marcel Hirscher of Austria
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Marcel Hirscher celebrates taking the lead of the Alpine Ski World Cup [GALLO/GETTY]

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher won his second race of the season in a slalom in Alta Badia on Monday to take the lead in the World Cup overall standings.

Fastest in the first leg, the Austrian attacked in the second to set a combined time of one minute 47.16 seconds.

Hirscher, who also won a giant slalom in Beaver Creek earlier this month, said he had been determined to stay
aggressive after some too conservative second runs had cost him some recent victories.

“I took things differently this time. I did not take notice of what was going on around, I just focused on my ski and being aggressive,” said Hirscher, who won by 0.56 seconds from Olympic champion Giuliano Razzoli.

The 22-year-old technical events specialist dislodged Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway at the top of the standings by nine
points ahead of the next leg of the men’s World Cup, a floodlit slalom in Flachau on Wednesday.

“It’s my first podium in Italy, it’s Alberto Tomba’s birthday. It’s going to be a perfect party”

On the podium, Giuliano Razzoli

“Things are going much better than I thought. It’s really exciting,” said Hirscher, who broke his ankle last season shortly before the world championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Razzoli has struggled with health problems in the early season and also crashed in training in November, hurting his shoulder, but was delighted to claim a first World Cup podium in his native Italy.

“I was inspired by Max Blardone’s victory yesterday. I skied the way he did, go for it and don’t think much,” he said.

“It’s my first podium in Italy, it’s Alberto Tomba’s birthday. It’s going to be a perfect party,” he said.

It was a day for the injured as Felix Neureuther was third, 0.04 behind Razzoli. The German also suffered from shoulder problems and shunned the beginning of the season.

Source: Reuters