Alpine Skiing news - Sensational Marcel Hirscher storms to comprehensive victory in Schladming

29-year-old Hirscher came into the midweek meet off the back of a shock defeat to rising star Clement Noel at Kitzbuhel, the Frenchman's first World Cup victory.

However Hirscher responded in blistering fashion as he built on a fabulous first run to beat his opposition by a margin of 1.21.

A time of 52.52 in the second run put him at 1.44.81 and his 31st World Cup slalom victory and 68 overall.

Cheered on by over 50,000 Austrian fans Hirscher seemed to have an extra force behind him as he secured his third win at Schladming.

"The last few days were not the easiest one because of the first runs and everybody is talking about the first runs so I thought to myself 'Okay let's show a first run that everyone will want to see' and I'm happy it was possible." Hirscher said afterwards.

"It was a perfect run [the second] and it was so crazy to ski and the crowd were amazing.

Noel's compatriot Pinturault was the leader in the first run when Hirscher left the gate but less than a minute later the Austrian sat in the leader's chair having knocked a second off the previous time, clocking in at 52.29.

Noel had already failed to finish, a brutal comedown after the highs of the weekend, as did the first rider out of the gate Manuel Feller.

British No. 1 Dave Ryding put in a solid run of 54.05 and he finished in eighth, catching Hirscher will be a tough ask but he will be eying a potential podium in the second run.

Yule was able to get closest to Hirscher in the first run, finishing with a time of 53.28.