Story highlights
Olympic champion out as Hirscher wins again
Austrian's victory follows surprise super-G win on Saturday
Aksel Lund Svindal wins three straight World Cup events
One of giant slalom’s heavyweights hit the mat in front of home fans at Beaver Creek on Sunday.
Ted Ligety crashed out in the morning’s first run, sliding through a gate before comparing the blow to a bout with a boxing legend.
“I have a dead leg. It feels like Mike Tyson or somebody punched me in the leg,” the 31-year-old told reporters.
In Ligety’s absence, Austria’s Marcel Hirscher went on to pick up his second win in two days.
Hirscher won last season’s overall giant slalom World Cup title – one of only three years in the last eight where Ligety has not prevailed.
Ligety is also the reigning Olympic champion and has won the last three world championship gold medals in giant slalom, the most recent coming at the same Beaver Creek, Colorado course back in February.
“It’s a bummer, for sure,” added Ligety. “It’s not cool in any kind of race when you go out, but this one’s especially a bummer.”
Sunday’s victory hands Hirscher the early advantage in the quest for the giant slalom season title.
Hirscher – owner of four consecutive overall World Cup season titles, the only man yet to achieve that feat – was also the unlikely winner of Saturday’s super-G at Beaver Creek. Ligety was second.
“I’m the first surprised by my win,” said the Austrian. “I’m still not in the comfort or safety zone in super-G, so this result is great for me.
“It is an unbelievable result. I’ve trained so much in all the other disciplines, nearly nothing in the super-G. That is a big surprise.”
Neither Hirscher nor Ligety are serious downhill competitors. Friday’s downhill World Cup event at Beaver Creek was won by Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal for his third consecutive victory.
“Aksel just did something unbelievable up top – that’s where he won the race,” said Kjetil Jansrud, who finished 0.3 seconds behind compatriot Svindal to take second.
“It was faster today, a little more icy, and it was one of the fastest Beaver Creek downhills we’ve had in many years.”
The men’s World Cup circuit now heads to France and Val d’Isere, where Hirscher will have the chance to maintain his giant slalom dominance on December 12.