Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – Two-time Audi FIS Alpine World Cup giant slalom champion and Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah, skied a tactically flawless second run Friday to become the 2011 giant slalom alpine ski racing World Champion. Sitting fourth after the first run, the 2009 bronze medalist received a detailed course report from teammate Bode Miller to produce a perfectly balanced attack that edged Cyprien Richard of France by eight hundredths of a second.nLigety is currently leading the World Cup giant slalom standings after winning the first three races of the season. Miller moved up from 27th to finish 12th with the fastest second run time.

“It’s not easy being one of the favorites and being able to perform in this type of conditions. I feel really lucky to come away with the win,” Ligety said. “Ski racing isn’t always a guarantee like it is for some other sports. After the first run I knew I was in touch and I knew if I had a really good run I could move up onto the podium and maybe get the win so I pushed really hard.”

“Ted knows he should win, but to be able to execute that on race day is a challenge,” added U.S. Ski Team head men’s coach, Sasha Rearick. “The main fight for him was just to trust himself and go as hard as he can. He skied like a champion today.”

Ligety’s win follows a tough series of speed races at the World Championships in Garmisch in which the U.S. men’s squad failed to deliver.

“The whole team needed this,” Rearick acknowledged. “We had a tough speed series here and this will inspire the guys to bring their best skiing into Sunday’s slalom. We’ve got an incredibly talented and eager group of young guys who are ready to get the job done.”

With Friday’s win, Ligety becomes the sixth American to win both Olympic and Worlds gold, joining Barbara-Ann Cochran, Phil Mahre, Picabo Street, Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn. He’s also the 2008 and 2010 World Cup giant slalom title winner. Ligety currently leads World Cup giant slalom standings with three victories this season with 323 points, ahead of Askel Lund Svindal of Norway (297 points) and Richard (253 points). He’s 12th in the overall standings behind Croatia’s Iveca Kostelic, who holds a commanding lead.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – February 18, 2011
Giant Slalom

Gold: Ted Ligety, Park City, UT, 2:10.56
Silver: Cyprien Richard, France, 2:10.64
Bronze: Philipp Schoerghofer, Austria, 2:10.99