Alta Badia, Italy – A dominating first run from Park City, Utah’s Ted Ligety set him up for a repeat win in an Audi FIS World Cup giant slalom in Alta Badia on Sunday by a massive 2.04 seconds over Austrian Marcel Hirscher. After finishing fourth in the first run, France’s Thomas Fanara picked up the pace and completed the podium in third.
“It’s tough to go out in the second run when you’re winning by 2.40. You don’t want to lose all that speed and not win but you also don’t want to go so relaxed you make big mistakes as well,” said Ligety. “So I was going hard.”
It was Ligety’s 14th career GS victory, tying him for the number four all-time spot with Austrians Benni Raich and Hermann Maier.Italian Alberto Tomba of Italy is next with 15. The incomparable Swede Ingemar Stenmark holds the seemingly untouchable record of 46.
Ligety had posted a 2.40 second lead in the first run, prompting speculation on the possibility of matching the record margin of 4.06 held by Stenmark. Ligety became the first skier since 1979 to post two two-second win margins following his 2.75-second victory earlier this season in Soelden.
“Maybe in the back of my mind the Stenmark record was something I was thinking about a little bit,” Ligety admitted, “but at the same time I was just trying to make it to the bottom. I definitely made some big mistakes and decided to change the tactics a little bit just so I didn’t totally mess it up.”
The win gave the U.S. Ski Team back-to-back wins on the weekend after Utah’s Steven Nyman won the Val Gardena downhill Saturday. Ligety gained ground on Aksel Lund Svindal in the World Cup overall and added to his lead in the giant slalom.
“The crazy thing is I’m only winning the GS title by 40 points over Marcel (Hirscher). Even though I’ve been beating him by a lot he’s second or third every time or winning,” Ligety added.
The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup men’s tour now heads to Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, for a slalom Tuesday before the holiday break.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Alta Badia, Italy – Dec. 16, 2012
Men’s Giant Slalom
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 2 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 1:17.10 | 1:20.17 | 2:37.27 | 0.00 |
| 2 | 5 | HIRSCHER Marcel | 1989 | AUT | 1:19.50 | 1:19.81 | 2:39.31 | 11.54 |
| 3 | 4 | FANARA Thomas | 1981 | FRA | 1:19.84 | 1:20.70 | 2:40.54 | 18.51 |
| 4 | 14 | DOPFER Fritz | 1987 | GER | 1:21.52 | 1:19.97 | 2:41.49 | 23.88 |
| 5 | 10 | SIMONCELLI Davide | 1979 | ITA | 1:21.60 | 1:20.13 | 2:41.73 | 25.24 |
| 6 | 3 | PINTURAULT Alexis | 1991 | FRA | 1:19.82 | 1:21.93 | 2:41.75 | 25.35 |
| 7 | 21 | SANDELL Marcus | 1987 | FIN | 1:20.80 | 1:21.24 | 2:42.04 | 26.99 |
| 7 | 18 | NEUREUTHER Felix | 1984 | GER | 1:21.20 | 1:20.84 | 2:42.04 | 26.99 |
| 9 | 12 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:21.14 | 1:20.99 | 2:42.13 | 27.50 |
| 10 | 36 | FAIVRE Mathieu | 1992 | FRA | 1:23.08 | 1:19.35 | 2:42.43 | 29.20 |