54th World Cup Win For Living Legend Marcel Hirscher
The big final of the so called slalom month January traditionally takes place at the night race in Schladming. A fantastic show, under the floodlights, with over 40’000 cheering fans; a highlight for all slalom athletes.
On Sunday in Kitzbuehel, Henrik Krsitoffersen was able to beat Marcel Hirscher and end his winning streak in the last five slaloms. But the Austrian took the challenge and the dual at the highest level between these two “giants” of the slalom went on in Schaldming, with Marcel Hirscher taking the lead in the first leg, +0.20 ahead of Kristoffersen.
In his second run, Henrik Kristoffersen skied through snow balls thrown at him during his run without losing focus and finished with a strong +1.74 over the current leader Daniel Yue. However, this will not be enough to beat the master Marcel Hirscher. With this second place in Schladming, Kristoffseren takes a 8th consecutive podium in slalom this season.
Nothing could destabilize the race machine Marcel Hirscher today. With a slight margin from first run, the Austrian knew he’ll have to attack and push all the way to the end. It was a wild ride, with some mistakes in the steep part, but nothing that cost too much time and prevent him from taking a ninth win this season, the sixth in slalom. Hirscher also equals the mark from legend Hermann Maier, in second of all time with 54 World Cup wins.
Both had won the Night Race before. Kristoffersen not less than three times (2014, 2016 and 2017) and Hirscher once in 2012 but he claimed his first World Champion title in Schladming in 2013. And both have been skiing on another level tonight again.
Daniel Yule confirmed his excellent shape this season with another podium. Only two days after his career first podium at the slalom in Kitzbuehel, the Swiss athlete proves that he is one of the best slalom skiers on this planet at the moment, repositioning himself in the fourth place of the slalom standings.
This slalom was the last one before the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, where the slalom will be held on 22 February 2018. The men’s World Cup Tour will go into its penultimate stop in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany before the Games in Korea.
