Neureuther wins parallel slalom

MUNICH, Germany (AFP) –

Germany’s Felix Neureuther celebrates after winning the Men’s FIS Ski World Cup Parallel Slalom at the Olympiapark in Munich, southern Germany, on January 1, 2013.

Germany’s Felix Neureuther won Tuesday’s World Cup parallel slalom in Munich, seeing off Austria’s Marcel Hirscher – leader in the season discipline – in the nighttime final before a 20,000 crowd.

Alexis Pinturault of France was third after edging out Swede Andre Myhrer as Neureuther, 28, landed his third career win after 2010 slaloms at Kitzbuehel and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The Frenchman missed a place in the final by a hairsbreadth as Hirscher just beat him in the second leg, thereby qualifying after the pair posted the same overall times.

Slovakia’s Veronika Zuzulova won the women’s race, defeating Slovenia’s overall World Cup leader Tina Maze in the final shootout.

Zuzulova, also 28, garnered her second success in four days having taken the slalom honours at Semmering on Saturday.

Third place went to Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser, who outpaced Finn Tanja Poutiainen.