KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (March 9) – Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) shredded the wet snow with authority, winning the Kranjska Gora giant slalom and securing the fourth Audi FIS Alpine World Cup GS title of his career. Ligety used his aggressive arcs to power down the rutted course ahead of Austrian Marcel Hirscher to win his fifth giant slalom race this season and a record fifth in Kranjska Gora. Ted now stands firmly third in the World Cup overall standings with five races left in the season.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) secured the fourth Audi FIS Alpine World Cup giant slalom title of his career with a wire-to-wire victory in Kranjska Gora.
- The win mathematically secured the title with one giant slalom race left in the season.
- It was a record fifth GS win this season for Ligety and fifth of his career in Kranjska Gora, the most of any racer at the classic Slovenian track.
- He has now been on every World Cup GS podium this season, the first man to be on the podium in at least the first seven giant slalom races of a World Cup season since Michael von Grünigen did it in the first eight races of 1995-96.
- He is now the fifth man to win at least five giant slalom races in one season, and the first since Hermann Maier in 2000-01. The others to have achieved this feat are Ingemar Stenmark (three times), Michael von Grünigen and Alberto Tomba.
- Ligety has now surpassed Tomba, moving into outright third place all-time in men's World Cup giant slalom victories with 16. Stenmark (46) and von Grünigen (23) are the only men with more World Cup giant slalom wins.
- He stands firmly in third in overall standings 909-848 over Felix Neureuther of Germany with five races remaining in the season, inlcuding a slalom Sunday in Kranjska Gora.
- Universal Sports Network will broadcast the race at 4:30 p.m. ET.
QUOTES
Ted Ligety
To win here again is incredible and I'm really proud of it. It's a big weight off my back. I had an awesome season in giant slalom but Hirscher was with me the whole season. It makes it tough going for the title. It was a head game when he was so close all along.
It's cool to go into World Cup Finals without the stress of the giant slalom title, but my goal now is to get third in the overall. Felix [Neureuther] and I have been battling for that position for a little while now and with his giant slalom and slalom power, that's going to be difficult. But hopefullly I can ski a good super G and also ski well in the giant slalom and we'll see what happens. I'll ski everything from now until the season is done.
It's tough to rank this title with any other. They're all special in different ways. Winning my first was the most special, but this year was really good. It's far and away my best season and winning every giant slalom except two and being on the podium in the other one's is doing it in the right fashion. This has been a dream season in giant slalom.
This hill is special and has a lot of personality. It has a little of everything to offer and is tactically difficult.
It's tough - racing in the rain isn't my favorite thing. I grew up in Park City, Utah and only skied in 25 degrees and sunny, but a win is sweet no matter what conditions you race in.
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