Adelboden, Switzerland – Nolan Kasper, of Warren, Vt.,was 9th in a rugged Adelboden slalom on Sunday as Austrian Marcel Hirscher won his third consecutive Audi FIS Alpine World Cup race.

Hirscher, who pushed his World Cup overall lead to 230 points, began his streak with a slalom win in Zagreb, Croatia and also won Saturday’s giant slalom in Adelboden. He now leads Croatian Ivica Kostelic by 230 points in the overall World Cup chase.

Heavy, wet snow fell throughout the race, covering an already soft course upon which 23 of the 68 starting racers failed to finish their first run, including Americans Bode Miller, Jimmy Cochran, Will Gregorak and Colby Granstrom. Will Brandenburg, of Spokane, Wash., was 22rd for his first points of the season.

“The first 20 guys in the second run had decent visibility and the last 10 guys had difficult conditions. It was an extreme challenge for everyone,” admitted U.S. Ski Team men’s Technical Head Coach, Mike Day. “When Nolan went, it was especially nasty, but then [Stefano] Gross caught a window with great light and he took that right to the podium. It just didn’t matter what the weather was doing for Hirscher and Kostelic, they both were amazing – absolutely amazing.”

Park City, Utah’s Ted Ligety went out on his second run.

“Ted went in some really tough conditions, but it wasn’t really a good course for him,” added Day. “It was really a tight with really short distances between gates and he had trouble right from the start.”

Canada’s Mike Janyk battled his way into seventh place for his first top-10 result of the 2011-12 World Cup season.  The 29-year-old slalom specialist from Whistler, B.C., who only recently returned to competition following an ankle injury, was at his gritty, determined best as he attacked the mountain and delivered the third-fastest second run of the day.

“I made mistakes but I fought like hell,” said Janyk, who punched the air in delight at the end of a storming second run. “That was one of the best runs I’ve done in a long time – the way I attacked and fought through.”

Brad Spence, of Calgary, Alberta, recovered from a big mistake in his first run to finish 17^th and Trevor Philp, also of Calgary, made his World Cup debut – finishing 44^th after the first run. There was bad news for Janyk’s teammate Julien Cousineau, of Lachute, Quebec, who went out in the first run and sustained a knee injury. He is heading back to Canada for further assessment.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). It’s going to be a hard six months but I will come back healthy and strong,” said Cousineau, as he left Adelboden for the national team’s base in Kirchberg, Austria. “I was kind of in trouble before I went down. I was out of balance a bit and my ski grabbed really hard. I just felt my knee pop and move around. There was pain right away and as soon as I Ianded I grabbed my knee.”

On Tuesday Cousineau is due to arrive in London, Ontario, where he will be assessed by Canadian Alpine Ski Team medical staff.

“The full nature of the injury will be determined.  His return to competition this season remains uncertain,” said team physician, Dr. Stephen French. “Julien remains in very high spirits and is looking forward to returning to the World Cup.”

The men’s World Cup now moves to Wengen, Switzerland for the 82nd Lauberhorn races.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Adelboden, Switzerland – Jan. 8, 2012
Men’s Slalom