Adelboden, Switzerland – Audi FIS World Cup giant slalom leader Ted Ligety finally got the win that had eluded him, with the Park City, Utah native taking a victory on Saturday in the Koenigsberg giant slalom in Adelboden.
Ligety claimed the win after first run leader Marcel Hirscher went out near the bottom of the second run while in the lead, finishing in 16th place.
“Today I was really lucky – Marcel Hirscher won this race today,” Ligety admitted. “But I’ll take it as I’ve given him some of those gifts in the past. This has been a tough course for me in my career so I’m happy to get the win. The second run was so dark and this hill is so tiring. I was lucky to have a little bit of reserve strength.”
In second and third place two German skiers – Fritz Dopfer and Felix Neureuther were the big surprises of the day, finishing in second and third place, respectively.
“Adelboden’s a tough hill and has it’s own unique challenges – the terrain, the flats, the steeps, the sidehills, the rolls – and also a very difficult course set the second run,” added U.S. Ski Team coach Sasha Rearick. “The coursesetter challenged the athletes and Ted executed.”
It was Ligety’s first career victory on the Koenigsberg.
“It’s the only classic GS I haven’t won, so it’s nice to get it. It’s cool in finally having your name on that list,” Ligety said.
It also matched the great Italian Alberto Tomba’s 15 giant slalom wins.
“That’s a cool feeling. He was one of my childhood heroes,” Ligety said of Tomba. “I grew up watching World Cup ski racing and following it. It’s cool to be able to have your name part of that history.”
Ligety is now third in the Audi FIS World Cup overall standings, just 103 points behind Hirscher of Austria. Ligety leads Hirscher by 125 in giant slalom.
In other American action, Vermonter Robby Kelley was 23rd to earn his first World Cup points on Saturday. Brennan Rubie, of Salt Lake City, Utah, made the cut for a second run but went out.
“Robby and Brennan did a great job making the flip – to qualify in Adelboden is a great credit to those guys,” said Rearick.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Adelboden, Switzerland – Jan. 12, 2013
Men’s Giant Slalom
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 4 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 1:14.39 | 1:14.28 | 2:28.67 | 0.00 |
| 2 | 11 | DOPFER Fritz | 1987 | GER | 1:15.73 | 1:14.09 | 2:29.82 | 6.88 |
| 3 | 17 | NEUREUTHER Felix | 1984 | GER | 1:15.85 | 1:14.06 | 2:29.91 | 7.42 |
| 4 | 6 | MOELGG Manfred | 1982 | ITA | 1:16.17 | 1:14.07 | 2:30.24 | 9.40 |
| 5 | 16 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 1:15.65 | 1:14.75 | 2:30.40 | 10.36 |
| 6 | 12 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:15.47 | 1:15.06 | 2:30.53 | 11.13 |
| 7 | 14 | SCHOERGHOFER Philipp | 1983 | AUT | 1:16.17 | 1:14.65 | 2:30.82 | 12.87 |
| 8 | 13 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | 1:16.02 | 1:14.94 | 2:30.96 | 13.71 |
| 9 | 19 | SANDELL Marcus | 1987 | FIN | 1:16.34 | 1:14.69 | 2:31.03 | 14.13 |
| 10 | 9 | SIMONCELLI Davide | 1979 | ITA | 1:16.74 | 1:14.36 | 2:31.10 | 14.55 |