Ligety clinches giant slalom World Cup

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AFP) –

Ted Ligety of the US competes during the FIS World Cup Men’s Giant Slalom race in Kranjska Gora, on March 9, 2013. Ligetywon the World Cup giant slalom at Kranjska Gora on Saturday, ensuring he takes the crystal globe for the overall season winner in the discipline.

Ted Ligety of the United States won the World Cup giant slalom at Kranjska Gora on Saturday, ensuring he takes the crystal globe for the overall season winner in the discipline.

Second place behind the American went to Marcel Hirscher of Austria with France’s Alexis Pinturault in third.

It is the fourth time that Ligety has won the World Cup giant slalom title after his season victories in 2008, 2010 and 2011. He is also the reigning world champion in the giant slalom.

Ligety had a particular liking for the Podkoren piste having won here four times previously and he was in command from the start, going fastest in the first run, 0.20secs clear of Pinturault.

He then safely negotiated the second run which saw overall World Cup leader Hirscher post the fastest time and close the gap to just 0.15secs moving him up from fourth place to second.

That meant that the Austrian consolidated his lead in the overall standings, moving 69 points clear of second-placed Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, who is mnore comfortable in the speed disciplines and who took sixth place.

“It’s really satisfying to make sure of winning the crystal globe before the end of the season,” Ligety said. “Marcel (Hirscher) helped a little with the mistake he made at Adelboden.”

That was a reference to the Austrian’s error of judgement in the Adelboden race when he was well in command only to hand victory to the American with a bad mistake over the final stretch.

“The conditions were not good, but I did what I set out to do. I was pleased to be ahead after the first run. Skiing under the rain is always that bit different.”