Kristoffersen trumps Hirscher for world giant slalom gold

ARE, Sweden: Norway´s Henrik Kristoffersen kept his nerve to trump Austria´s defending champion Marcel Hirscher and claim a maiden world gold in the men´s giant slalom on Friday.

The Norwegian clocked a total time of 2min 20.24sec over two runs, finishing 0.20sec ahead of Olympic champ Hirscher, with first-leg leader Alexis Pinturault taking bronze (+0.42) to add to the combined gold he won on Monday.

It was a first global title for the 24-year-old Kristoffersen, who won slalom bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games at the age of 19 to become the youngest male medallist in Olympic alpine skiing history.

“It was about time to get a medal!” said Kristoffersen, who won giant slalom silver behind Hirscher at last year´s Pyeongchang Games, but had finished fourth in three world championship events - in the 2015 and 2017 slalom and in the 2017 giant slalom.

“When you´ve been fourth three times in a row, I haven´t won a race in a year, the last GS I won was in Meribel in 2015, I´ve been so close so many times, it´s a testament to the people around me and the work they do.”

His tactics, he added, had been to “just go. I just went. There´s no one that skis on salt as much as Norwegians do. Even though I haven´t trained on salt in GS in a long, long time, I have it from childhood”.

Hirscher, who admitted to “one or two mistakes too many”, said Kristoffersen deserved the victory.

“Second place is the first loser, but Henrik had an amazing day with two great runs,” said the Austrian, who has been suffering with a heavy cold and said he was “tired and looking forward to getting back to bed again”.

“Henrik is at the top for such a long time he was more than ready for a world title.”

Hirscher, with six titles already in the bag, had been gunning for a record-equalling seventh men´s world title which would have drawn him level with compatriot Toni Sailer.

While he missed out on that, his silver did see him become just the fifth man to claim 10 or more world championships medals after Kjetil Andre Aamodt (12), Marc Girardelli (11), Lasse Kjus (11) and Benjamin Raich (10).

It was another Austrian, Marco Schwarz (with the 16th best time in the first leg), who seized the first sizeable lead.

Schwarz, who won combined bronze and team event silver here, lay down the quickest run for the second descent and it was enough for him to keep the lead through the next nine racers, and eventually finish equal fifth.

Slovenia´s Jan Kranjec, one of the top six favourites, then drew level with Schwarz. Next up came Loic Meillard, the Swiss holding on to take a 0.12sec lead to up the ante on the four racers still to enter the start gate.

France´s Thomas Fanara, in his last world champs, skidded out high up the floodlit course, to gasps from the large crowd packed around the finish area.

And suddenly it was down to the fancied top three.

First out was Kristoffersen, who built up his 0.57sec lead by the first intermediary as he attacked, carrying on that form to come through a whopping 0.92sec ahead of Meillard.

Next up was Hirscher, Austria´s favourite son, who again held nothing back from the off. As he pushed, errors came in and the Austrian went into the red on his third intermediary and came through just behind the Norwegian.

He sank to his haunches, be-gloved hands on each side of his personalised helmet watching the replays on the big screen television in a state of almost disbelief.

Pinturault looked a picture of calm as he lined up, giving a bang of his poles before planting them and kicking out of the hut.

He built on his 0.18sec lead from the first run to 0.33sec at the first interval, but faded as the course lengthened, eventually falling back with only the 19th fastest time in the second leg to round out the podium.

“I had no regrets, I tried to push and I pushed over my limits,” said Pinturault.

“When you´re leading after the first run, you have no choice, you know you have to push.”

American Ted Ligety, once known as “Mr.GS” after winning three world titles (2011, 2013, 2015) and gold at the 2014 Olympics, finished 1.54sec off the pace in 11th.