Hirscher wins slalom to set new record

ZAGREB (AFP) –

Austria's Marcel Hirscher competes during the men's FIS slalom competition race in Sljeme on January 6, 2013

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher competes during the men’s FIS slalom competition race in Sljeme, near Zagreb, on January 6, 2013. Hirscher won his third World Cup slalom of the season here on Sunday setting a new World Cup record of nine successive podium finishes in both this discipline and the giant slalom.

Austrian star Marcel Hirscher won his third World Cup slalom of the season here on Sunday setting a new World Cup record of nine successive podium finishes in both this discipline and the giant slalom.

The 23-year-old – who was recording his 15th career World Cup win – timed 1min 56.17sec over the two legs to beat Sweden’s Andre Myhrer by 57 hundredths of a second while another Austrian Mario Matt was third, 1.09sec adrift.

Hirscher, who was winning here for the second successive season, said that he had been particularly touched by compliments paid to him by Croat great Ivica Kostelic.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Hirscher.

“He is 33 years old and still skies with as much intensity despite his numerous injuries and operations (a dozen).

“It means a lot to me that he has said that I am the skier of the future, to be displayed in the manuals and the ski schools.

“But as you know, that can all change. And in five years one will say the same thing about a younger skier.”

Hirscher, though, added the idea he would manage to go through the season finishing on the podium of all the technical events was fanciful.

“It appears to me to be impossible, even if I am going to give it a shot.”

Hirscher was second after the first leg – one hundredth of a second slower than Swede Jens Byggmark – but he skied a superb second run to ease home and create his new record.

Byggmark could not respond and his hopes were dashed with a serious error which saw him plummet to 26th place.

Hirscher, who extended his lead at the top of the slalom standings, returned to the top of the race for the overall World Cup champion taking a 51-point lead over Norwegian veteran Aksel Lund Svindal, who did not compete here.