With a little luck, Hirscher grabs combined gold

By Published On: February 8th, 2015Comments Off on With a little luck, Hirscher grabs combined gold

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – At least two-thirds of Sunday’s alpine combined podium essentially wrote themselves off after the first run of the event. Both the gold medalist, Marcel Hirscher, and the bronze medalist, Ted Ligety, had serious doubts about their podium potential after the downhill — but they surprised themselves, finishing alongside silver medalist Kjetil Jansrud, who earned his career first World Championship medal and first alpine combined podium at the elite level.

“I skied horrible,” said Ligety after the downhill. “I didn’t really make any mistakes. I just skied horrible. Realistically, (the podium) is out of reach.”

A factor that likely worked to Ligety’s detriment was a significant course delay caused by the horrific crash of the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Bank, possibly a contender in this event. Ligety, who was in the start house at the time, was oddly sluggish through the gliding sections of downhill and complained that slippers during that delay slowed the track before his run.

Said Ligety, “When you have a big course hold in front of you, I think you have to get slippers on the course. On the steep part, that’s great. But on the flat parts, every single (racer) that goes down, they glaze the flats a little bit and it makes it a little faster. When you have slippers go, they kind of bring up the new snow and it makes it a lot slower especially when it’s the kind of weather and snow it is there today.”

Bank was evacuated to Vail Valley Medical Center where he underwent a CT head scan, which was clear. It has been confirmed that Bank suffered a concussion, facial lacerations and a leg contusion, but reports also said he was “doing well.”

The Czech’s misfortune and subsequent disqualification also had an effect on the outcome of the race. Marcel Hirscher, who finished the downhill 31st on paper, was bumped into 30th position and thus started first in the flip for slalom.

“No, I wouldn’t have won with (start) number 31,” Hirscher said after the race. “But you always need luck to be in the first position. … (Bank) is a really nice guy and I wish him all the best and I hope he is coming back really soon. He showed us so many times that he is that strong to come back from injuries, so all the best and good wishes for him.”

Hirscher changed his downhill setup — both skis and boots — for today’s race and he skied two seconds faster than he did in training runs.

“It is way tougher to ski downhill on one of the toughest downhill courses in the world,” Hirscher said. “Birds of Prey is really cool. … I have been not super fast in the first two training runs, around five seconds behind the leader, so we were expecting that it doesn’t make sense to ski in the super combined.”

For Ligety, it was an imperfect slalom run that landed him on the podium in this alpine combined, an event he won in Schladming two years ago. Just after the first slalom split, the American leaned in on a side hill and had to throw his skis sideways to make the next gate — otherwise he likely would have won.

“This is definitely a surprise, for sure,” said Ligety. “After the downhill run, I thought there was no possibility of getting anywhere close to a medal. It was just dumb luck – good strategy – I guess to be running one and two because it was so hot and so soft snow that we were more lucky than anything else, I think. Jansrud probably lost four-tenths on the bottom three gates just because it was so sticky. I think we just got really lucky with how it played out.”

“Many people can call it luck, but I don’t believe in luck,” said Jansrud. “And I think that (Hirscher) was 30th because he’s a good skier and he makes that cut and then he gets that advantage … by starting one, he uses that advantage to ski fast and thus we have a winner that deserves the win.”

Jansrud held the lead after the downhill, which was run full-length on the Birds of Prey course. In the afternoon, running 30th, he battled through unseasonably warm conditions and a cut-up slalom course to bump Ligety out of silver medal position and make a statement on behalf of the speed specialists. Jansrud stated after the race he considered himself an underdog in the event.

“It’s been two disappointing days … especially yesterday with the 15th place (in the downhill) was hard to deal with. Likewise, I’m exceptionally happy with a silver medal in the combination. I had a good downhill run. I knew I had almost three seconds on Ted and Marcel which was probably going to be the two toughest guys and also Pinturault, but them starting first in the slalom practically meant that it was going to be tight. I had a queasy feeling on top.”

In the Sochi Olympics last winter, Jansrud was leading the downhill portion of the combined but ultimately finished fourth after the slalom.

“It’s not fun finishing fourth. I also thought this slalom, compared to Sochi, was probably a slalom that suited me a little better. … Coming into this championship, everybody expected me to fight for the golds and even maybe grab one. That doesn’t happen, so … winning a silver medal in a discipline where I was an outsider at best, it means a lot. It’s way better getting on an airplane back home with a medal than no medals.”

Jansrud will not compete in the World Championship giant slalom on Friday. He will instead fly back to Europe to train speed in an effort to remain relevant in the overall World Cup title chase in which he trails Hirscher.

Meanwhile, after smoking the third fastest downhill run, American Jared Goldberg said it was likely the best downhill run of his life — if not, definitely the most fun. Unfortunately he boot-topped a gate early in the slalom, getting knocked off balance and temporarily out of the course. Goldberg climbed back in and finished the run with gumption.

“I was pretty bummed instantly because I was feeling really confident and ready to just send it to the bottom,” said Goldberg. “I didn’t really have any nerves. I just was ready to go. And then (to) have something funky like that happen kind of sucks – it definitely sucks, but whatever – but it’s slalom. I don’t take it that seriously.”

The men next race in the team event scheduled in Vail for Tuesday, Feb. 10.

 

The Scoop

By Hank McKee

  1. Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  2. Jansrud, Head/Head/Head
  3. Ligety, Head/Head/Head
  4. Baumann, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
  5. Pinturault, Head/Head/Head
  6. Janka, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  7. Romar, Head/Head/Head
  8. Kilde, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  9. Mermillod Blondin, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  10. Paris, Nordica/Nordica 

Men’s World Championship alpine combined, Beaver Creek, Colo., Feb. 8, 2015:

  • It is the fifth event of the 2015 World Ski Championships … the third for men. … It is the 73rd  World Championship combined and the ninth held in the United States (the 1960 and 1980 Olympic races served to score for FIS World combined Championships).
  • The first combined World Championship was held at Cortina in 1932 (Otto Furrer, SUI). … Defending champion is Ted Ligety. … Carlo Janka (Wengen) and Alexis Pinturault (Kitzbuehel) are the winners of the only two combined races scored this season on World Cup.
  • Kjetil Jansrud won the DH leg.
  • It is the third career World Championship medal for Marcel Hirscher and his second gold. … He also won gold in slalom and silver in GS at Schladming 2013. … It is his seventh victory of the season and first in combined. … His best previous combined finish was second in World Cup at Val d’Isere Dec. 11, 2009, and at Kitzbuehel Jan. 23. … Winning margin is .19 of a second. … Top nine skiers are within the same second. … Top 16 within two seconds.
  • It is the first career World Championship medal for Kjetil Jansrud. … His previous best had been fourth in super G, here, Feb. 4. … His best World Cup combined finish is fourth, scored twice, at Kitzbuehel Jan. 23, 2011 and at Chamonix, Jan. 30, 2011.
  • It is the sixth career World Championship medal for Ted Ligety, tying him with Lindsey Vonn for most by a U.S. competitor. … It is his second combined Championship medal having won gold at Schladming 2013. … He also won an Olympic gold medal in combined at Sestriere 2006.
  • It is the third best of six World Championship results for Tim Jitloff. … second best in combined after a 14th at Garmisch 2011. … Steven Nyman matches his sixth best (of eight World Championship results). … His second best in combined after a ninth at Are, 2007. … Andrew Weibrecht matches his third best of five World Championship results. … It is his first placing in combined. … It is the second World Championship placing for Jared Goldberg in two consecutive days.
  • Medal count: Austria three gold, one silver; Switzerland one gold, two bronze; Slovenia one gold, one silver; U.S. one silver, two bronze; Canada one silver; Norway one silver; France one bronze.

 

Results 

 1  9  53831 HIRSCHER Marcel 1989 AUT  1:46.17  49.93  2:36.10  0.00
 2  13  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR  1:43.01  53.28  2:36.29  +0.19  1.40
 3  20  534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA  1:46.04  50.36  2:36.40  +0.30  2.21
 4  12  51215 BAUMANN Romed 1986 AUT  1:43.70  52.78  2:36.48  +0.38  2.80
 5  21  194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA  1:45.65  50.86  2:36.51  +0.41  3.02
 6  22  511313 JANKA Carlo 1986 SUI  1:44.18  52.62  2:36.80  +0.70  5.16
 7  23  180570 ROMAR Andreas 1989 FIN  1:44.96  51.97  2:36.93  +0.83  6.11
 8  39  422139 KILDE Aleksander Aamodt 1992 NOR  1:44.53  52.43  2:36.96  +0.86  6.34
 9  10  192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA  1:44.89  52.10  2:36.99  +0.89  6.56
 10  25  291459 PARIS Dominik 1989 ITA  1:44.75  52.38  2:37.13  +1.03  7.59
 11  8  53902 MAYER Matthias 1990 AUT  1:43.75  53.39  2:37.14  +1.04  7.66
 12  17  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO  1:46.03  51.12  2:37.15  +1.05  7.74
 13  11  511513 CAVIEZEL Mauro 1988 SUI  1:44.92  52.25  2:37.17  +1.07  7.88
 14  29  511383 FEUZ Beat 1987 SUI  1:43.10  54.17  2:37.27  +1.17  8.62
 15  4  510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan 1981 SUI  1:45.24  52.05  2:37.29  +1.19  8.77
 16  2  561217 KOSI Klemen 1991 SLO  1:45.18  52.58  2:37.76  +1.66  12.23
 17  24  534959 JITLOFF Tim 1985 USA  1:46.01  52.12  2:38.13  +2.03  14.96
 18  14  293006 INNERHOFER Christof 1984 ITA  1:44.31  53.99  2:38.30  +2.20  16.21
 19  15  700830 ZAMPA Adam 1990 SVK  1:46.37  51.97  2:38.34  +2.24  16.50
 20  3  561255 CATER Martin 1992 SLO  1:44.74  53.63  2:38.37  +2.27  16.72
 21  38  533866 NYMAN Steven 1982 USA  1:44.64  53.89  2:38.53  +2.43  17.90
 22  6  530939 WEIBRECHT Andrew 1986 USA  1:44.31  54.26  2:38.57  +2.47  18.20
 23  34  200379 SANDER Andreas 1989 GER  1:44.28  55.01  2:39.29  +3.19  23.50
 24  33  481327 TRIKHICHEV Pavel 1992 RUS  1:46.23  53.10  2:39.33  +3.23  23.80
 25  27  202059 FERSTL Josef 1988 GER  1:45.21  54.34  2:39.55  +3.45  25.42
 26  30  150644 KRYZL Krystof 1986 CZE  1:47.02  52.74  2:39.76  +3.66  26.96
 27  1  430429 BYDLINSKI Maciej 1988 POL  1:46.42  54.12  2:40.54  +4.44  32.71
 28  42  380341 ULLRICH Max 1994 CRO  1:46.55  54.73  2:41.28  +5.18  38.16
 29  5  934643 GOLDBERG Jared 1991 USA  1:43.69  57.63  2:41.32  +5.22  38.46
 30  26  150495 VRABLIK Martin 1982 CZE  1:48.41  53.63  2:42.04  +5.94  43.76
 31  48  170131 FAARUP Christoffer 1992 DAN  1:46.94  56.03  2:42.97  +6.87  50.61
 32  45  110324 VON APPEN Henrik 1994 CHI  1:46.86  56.37  2:43.23  +7.13  52.53
 32  7  293550 MARSAGLIA Matteo 1985 ITA  1:44.76  58.47  2:43.23  +7.13  52.53
 34  44  370031 ALESSANDRIA Arnaud 1993 MON  1:47.45  56.03  2:43.48  +7.38  54.37
 35  31  30149 SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier 1980 ARG  1:49.82  54.14  2:43.96  +7.86  57.91
 36  36  380361 RODES Istok 1996 CRO  1:50.73  53.56  2:44.29  +8.19  60.34
 37  41  410364 FEASEY Willis 1992 NZL  1:48.71  56.03  2:44.74  +8.64  63.65
 38  28  194167 MUZATON Maxence 1990 FRA  1:44.50  1:00.83  2:45.33  +9.23  68.00
 39  46  700879 ZAMPA Andreas 1993 SVK  1:50.58  54.91  2:45.49  +9.39  69.18
Disqualified 2nd run
 37  561216 KLINE Bostjan 1991 SLO
Disqualified 1st run
 19  150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE
Did not start 1st run
 49  460071 ACHIRILOAIE Ioan Valeriu 1990 ROU
 47  400281 VAN HEEK Marvin 1991 NED
Did not finish 2nd run
 43  410372 PREBBLE Nick 1993 NZL
 40  670037 ZAKURDAEV Igor 1987 KAZ
 35  54005 STRIEDINGER Otmar 1991 AUT
 32  103612 PRIDY Morgan 1990 CAN
 18  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO
Did not finish 1st run
 16  193967 MUFFAT-JEANDET Victor 1989 FRA

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.