Ted Ligety wins giant slalom before Sochi

Leading into the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, two-time giant slalom world champion Ted Ligety has won the final World Cup race in St Moritz.

America's two-time giant slalom world champion Ted Ligety won the final World Cup race on Sunday in the Swiss resort of St Moritz ahead of the Winter Olympic Games.

The 29-year-old - four-time World Cup giant slalom series champion - timed 2min 38.75sec to beat Austrian ace Marcel Hirscher with Frenchman Alexis Pinturault third.

Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal failed to finish and also lost his lead in the overall World Cup standings as Hirscher's runner-up spot allowed him to overturn the deficit and take a 58-point lead.

Ligety, who has yet to win the giant slalom Olympic crown, though he won the combined Olympic gold in 2006, built an impressive lead after the first run of more than a second over Hirscher and Pinturault, who had won the men's super combined last Sunday.

Ligety's second run went without any major scares to secure his 21st World Cup victory.

His return to form - he failed to finish in both Adelboden and Val d'Isere in January's races - reinforces his status as favourite for the Olympic race which is programmed for February 19.

The Winter Games get under way in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi next Friday and run until February 23.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


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