Hirscher claims slalom win in Finland

Double overall World Cup skiing champion Hirscher took the victory ahead of compatriot Mario Matt.

After an impressive opening run that saw him surpass the times of Jean-Baptiste Grange and Ivica Kostelic, the Austrian led going into the second session.

A seamless run after the interval allowed Hirscher to clock a time of 1:45.42s, 0.62s faster than Matt.

19-year-old Henrik Kristoffersen finished in third, 0.93s off the pace.

Felix Neureuther, who was in contention after the first run, looked well on his way to claiming a podium finish at the very least, but tumbled on his second run and finished in 27th place.