Ligety Ties for 4th in Kranjska Gora GS
News
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
March 3, 2007
KRANJSKA GORA, SLOVENIA – (USST News Bureau Release) – Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) tied for fourth Saturday in a World Cup giant slalom won by Austrian Benjamin Raich, the defending overall champion who moved to within three points of reclaiming his World Cup overall lead. Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) tied for 13th place.
WCSN.com will broadcast same-day video streaming from Kranjska Gora at 2 p.m. ET.
Raich won with a two-run time of 2:19.03 and Canadian Francois Bourque was second at 2:19.58 with Italy’s Max Blardone third (2:19.60). Ligety, who tied with overall points leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, was timed in 2:19.65. Miller’s time was 2:20.76.
After 28 races, with eight left, Svindal has 868 points to 865 for Raich. Swiss skier Didier Cuche of third at 788 with Miller fourth (663). There’s a slalom Sunday in Kranjska, a super combined, downhill and super G next weekend in Kvitfjell before World Cup Finals March 14-18 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
“It was a tight one. Ted was a few hundredths away from a podium again…but he’ll get there, but keeps just missing. He did a great job, especially considering the spring conditions we’ve got here…and the flat light. I would have thought the course would break down but, again, guys from the back (five from start bib 35 and beyond) were able to punch in there,” said GS/SL Head Coach Mike Morin.
“Clearly, Ted’s a threat in giant slalom. He just had a tactical mistake at the bottom of his second run or he’d have been on the podium,” Morin added. “Course reports said guys were having problems at the bottom – it’s a steep pitch in that final section – and Ted gave up his line a bit (skiing more conservatively as he rounded a couple of gates) and it cost him…
“Bode never got his rhythm on the first run,” which coincidentally was set by Morin, the coach said. “He missed the tempo of the rolls and then lost some time on the bottom, too.”
Morin was hoping for colder weather overnight. “Let’s hope it at least gets down to zero (C. or 32 F.) so the (chemicals) in the snow can have an effect. Otherwise, it’ll be really – really! – slushy for that slalom in the morning,” he said.
For complete results: www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?cal_suchsector=AL&event_id=20704.