Adelboden, Switzerland – The U.S. Ski Team’s David Chodounsky came out on Sunday with skis blazing, laying down the second fastest final run for a career best tenth in an Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom in Adelboden. Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, eighth after the first run, was the only faster skier on the second run as he took the win to become the first man to win two World Cup slaloms in Adelboden and extend his overall World Cup lead.

“My first run was pretty good already but I made a mistake in the last section so I ended up just over 0.80 seconds behind (Italian Manfred) Moelgg,” Hirscher said. “I knew I had a good chance in the second run and if my second run would have been a poker game it would have been ‘all in.’ After losing a victory in the giant slalom due to a mistake I was pretty fired up to have a good race today and am very happy in the end everything went according to plan.”

Moelgg, the first-run leader, finished third behind Mario Matt of Austria. Saturday’s giant slalom winner, Ted Ligety, was 11th. Hirscher now leads the overall standings over Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal with Ligety in third.

“I felt I had a good first run, it was nice and solid. I got comfortable with the hill and snow conditions and came our ready to rip in the second run. I ripped,” said Chodunsky, of Crested Butte, Colo. “Everything is building to the next race. I broke my collarbone in August, but was able to get in some good prep in Chile and also in Colorado. From there I’ve been producing solid results and I try to keep building on that from race to race.”

Chodounsky’s previous best finish was a 15th set during the Val d’Isere, France slalom a month ago.

“Eleventh place isn’t my goal, that’s for sure,” acknowledged Ligety, of Park City, Utah. “In order to to have any impact on the overall I have to be on the podium in slalom. I think I have that potential, I just haven’t been able to put together two decent slalom runs this year. I have to get rid of the two and three big mistakes I’ve been making in every race.

“This wasn’t a horrible result,” Ligety added before admitting, “but it’s not what I think I should be getting.”

The World Cup men now head over the mountain to Wengen for the fabled Lauberhorn weekend with super combined, downhill and slalom.

“Wengen was my best result until this year, I like that place and I like the hill,” said Chodunsky. “It’s going to be really fun.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Adelboden, Switzerland – Jan. 13, 2013
Men’s Slalom