GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Marcel Hirscher, the men's overall World Cup leader, gave himself the perfect boost before next month's world championships with victory in Saturday's giant slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
It was Hirscher's 20th giant slalom title of his career. The Austrian clocked a combined time of two minutes 39.95 seconds for the two runs on the Kandahar course to finish 1.50secs ahead of Matts Olsson of Sweden with Germany's Stefan Luitz third at 1.95secs.
Hirscher's main rival in the event, Alexis Pinturault of France, was fourth. The win means Hirscher tightens his iron-grip on the overall World Cup rankings to leave him 424 points ahead of nearest pursuer, Henrik Kristoffersen of Austria, and on course for a sixth straight title.
This was the last giant slalom race before the World Championships are held in St Moritz, Switzerland, from Feb. 6-19.
Having been the second fastest after the morning's first run, Hirscher left his rivals in his wake in the afternoon's second run down the difficult, icy piste.
"This Garmisch piste is very demanding physically, it's a constant challenge," said Hirscher, who has won the men's overall World Cup title each year since 2012.
Hirscher's victory was Austria's 100th World Cup win in the discipline and he is one of the favorites for the world title in St Moritz having won silver in both 2013 and 2015.
The biggest surprise of the day was Olsson's second place as he made the podium at a World Cup race for the first time. "It's great to be on the podium, I had a very good feeling in the first round," said the 28-year-old, back after a knee injury last season.
∑"The second was harder, much more bumpy and the conditions were changing between the top and the bottom, it was difficult, we were going from snow to ice."
With only two giant slaloms to go, in Slovenia's Kranjska Gora and at the Finals in Aspen, the fight for the event's World Cup title promises to be tight as Hirscher has a 97 point lead over Pinturault. — AFP
