Ted Ligety wins season-opening giant slalom race in Solden

The win in Soelden was the 25th World Cup victory of the American’s career, and he owed it to a stellar first run which saw him build up a lead over home favourite Marcel Hirscher and Thomas Fanara of France.

And despite Fanara going a fraction quicker on the afternoon’s second run, Ligety held on to win by 0.15 seconds, with Hirscher a further 0.02 seconds back in third.

It was the 31-year-old’s fourth win in Soelden, and a vital 100 early points sees him straight to the top of the World Cup standings after he was beaten last year by Hirscher for the GS title.

And it was a bad day at the office for Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud – who are expected to be challenging Hirscher for the overall championship come the end of the season – as they finished more than four seconds off the lead in 24th and 25th respectively.

Fastest time of the day came from another skier outside the podium finishers: Austria's Roland Leitinger recorded a stunning 1:10.88 in his second run, but after giving up more than three seconds to Ligety in his opening run he could only finish down in sixth.

Results (leg 1 - leg 2 - overall):

1. Ted Ligety (U.S.) 1:12.30 1:11.58 2:23.88

2. Thomas Fanara (France) 1:12.63 1:11.40 2:24.03

3. Marcel Hirscher (Austria) 1:12.47 1:11.58 2:24.05

4. Roberto Nani (Italy) 1:12.93 1:12.85 2:25.78

5. Alexis Pinturault (France) 1:13.78 1:12.11 2:25.89

6. Roland Leitinger (Austria) 1:15.81 1:10.88 2:26.69

6. Henrik Kristoffersen (Norway) 1:14.49 1:12.20 2:26.69

6. Felix Neureuther (Germany) 1:13.77 1:12.92 2:26.69

9. Mathieu Faivre (France) 1:14.44 1:12.37 2:26.81

10. Victor Muffat-Jeandet (France) 1:13.76 1:13.21 2:26.97

11. Florian Eisath (Italy) 1:15.02 1:12.05 2:27.07

12. Filip Zubcic (Croatia) 1:14.74 1:12.42 2:27.16

13. Giovanni Borsotti (Italy) 1:14.52 1:12.74 2:27.26

14. Philipp Schoerghofer (Austria) 1:14.45 1:12.94 2:27.39

15. Justin Murisier (Switzerland) 1:16.00 1:11.47 2:27.47

16. Hannes Reichelt (Austria) 1:16.45 1:11.09 2:27.54

17. Tim Jitloff (U.S.) 1:15.29 1:12.28 2:27.57

18. Stefan Luitz (Germany) 1:14.29 1:13.41 2:27.70

19. Andrea Ballerin (Italy) 1:15.63 1:12.24 2:27.87

20. Andre Myhrer (Sweden) 1:15.51 1:12.44 2:27.95

20. Fritz Dopfer (Germany) 1:14.01 1:13.94 2:27.95