Marcel Hirscher dominates in Alta Badia giant slalom

The Austrian, defending giant slalom and overall champion, finished top of the podium for the fifth year in succession in the Italian resort.

His blistering second run gave Hirscher a total time of 2.25:42, a mammoth 1.70 seconds clear of second placed Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway.

Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec was a further 0.12 seconds back in third.

The win also put Hirscher back on course for a record-extending seventh successive overall World Cup title despite suffering a broken ankle in a training run in August.

"The second run was really great," Hirscher told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "I gave it everything as I knew that Kristoffersen really wanted to win. I stepped on the gas and it went really well."

Hirscher's third World Cup race win of the season, and the 48th of his career, put him level on 374 points at the top of the overall standings with Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, winner of the downhill at Val Gardena on Saturday.

The other skiers could only stand back and admire as the dominant Hirscher was fastest over both legs, finishing with a total time of two minutes 25.42 seconds.

Despite his dominance of the World Cup, Hirscher has never won an Olympic gold medal - something he has a chance to change in PyeongChang in February.