Hirscher cruises to giant slalom glory to begin World Cup defence

BySportsbeat

Updated 26/10/2014 at 20:06 GMT

Reigning World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher kicked off the new alpine skiing season in style as he triumphed by a massive 1.58-second margin in the opening giant slalom World Cup event in Soelden.

Marcel Hirscher après sa victoire lors du géant de Sölden en octobre 2014

Image credit: AFP

The Austrian, who last season became the first man since Phil Mahre in 1983 to win three consecutive overall World Cup titles, led by 0.19 seconds after the first run and extended his lead on his second run down the Soelden slope.

His overall time of 2:28.09 minutes was enough to hold off Germany's Fritz Dopfer and France's Alexis Pinturault who clocked in at 2:29.67 and 2:30.15 respectively.

Dopfer recorded his fifth top-three finish but is still searching for that elusive first World Cup race win and his next opportunity will come in Levi, Finland on November 16.

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Olympic and World Cup giant slalom champion Ted Ligety had looked best placed to challenge Hirscher in Austria as he sat in second place, and within striking distance, after his first run.

But the American came off the racing line approaching the final, flat section of the course and had to settle for tenth - his worst-ever result at Soelden.

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