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Ligety Wins Kranjska Gora by 1.61

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
March, 10 2012

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (March 10) - Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) posted a staggering 1.61 second victory in Saturday's giant slalom for the fourth win of his career in Kranjska Gora. It was the largest margin of victory for the men's Audi FIS Alpine World Cup this season and the biggest in recent history. It also kept Ligety, a three-time World Cup giant slalom champion, mathematically in the hunt for a fourth title as giant slalom leader Marcel Hirscher of Austria finished third. With only the March11-18 World Cup Finals remaining, Hirscher leads Ligety by 92 points.

  • Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) won the fourth World Cup giant slalom race of his career in Kranjska Gora.
  • His staggering 1.61 second margin of victory was the biggest of the season and in recent history.
  • Ligety has now scored 513 World Cup points in giant slalom, the most of his career in the discipline.
  • Austrian Marcel Hirscher was third and retained the giant slalom lead by 92 points with one race remaining.
  • Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) was 17th and Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) 28th, yet narrowly missed qualifying for World Cup Finals.
  • A slalom is scheduled for Sunday in Kranjska Gora to close the regular World Cup season.
  • World Cup Finals will be held March 11-18 in Schladming, Austria – home of the 2013 World Championships.

QUOTES
Ted Ligety

It’s definitely a big victory, especially winning by that margin. I was proud of the effort I put in today. I think the last couple of races I was having trouble putting in the right amount of intensity and today I was able to find it and ski great both runs.

I am about 90-something points behind now and that’s difficult to make up in one race. He (Hirscher) would have to blow it and I'd have to win, but we will see. I am just going to try to take another good race to end the year and wherever I end up, I end up.

This year is pretty crazy. The season Hirsher had is incredible, he is over 600 points with one giant slalom race left. That's maybe the most points scored in giant slalom since I don’t know when. I have 500 points, which is the most points I have ever scored in giant slalom. It would be tough not to win the title but I am also proud of having that kind of season.

I feel like the last couple weeks of giant slalom have been a fluke, at least as far as my results go. Definitely I had a little more expectations for myself, so in that sense, it's tough to lose the title in just a couple of races. At least I am proving that I am right up there with Hirsher.

TV
Universal Sports will ar the race at 4 p.m. ET

RESULTS
Official Results

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