ALPINE SKI. ADELBODEN, Switzerland -- Austria's Marcel Hirscher can't be stopped. In the second run of the slalom here, he skied through heavy snow and fog to take his third consecutive win of the week.

Marcel Hirscher of Austria competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's Slalom on January 08, 2012 in Adelboden, Switzerland. (January 7, 2012 - Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

2011 World Cup Overall Champion Ivica Kostelic was .27 seconds away, skiing from fourth position after the first run to land in second. Italy's Stefano Gross was third and attained his first career podium.

However, Hirscher had a little help securing the win. First, Kostelic was a little more timid than usual. Secondly, Deville couldn't close the deal.

“The last 10 gates were quite open, but unfortunately I have a history with the last 10 gates here in Adelboden," he said. "A few times I have had pretty big mistakes down here and I didn't want to let the skis run too soon. I guess that was where Marcel was risky and he got his victory.”
 
Then Deville slipped up. He was tied with Hirscher after the first run, but was disqualified on gate 71 or 72 when he straddled it just a few meters from the finish line. If he had won, it would have been his first career victory.

With the added difficulty of constant snow throughout the race, 10 centimeters of snow overnight and more than a meter of snow since Thursday, the famed Chuenisbargli race course has lived up to its reputation as being one of the most difficult pistes in the world. During the second run, four of the first 10 competitors skied out including GS Overall World Cup Champion Ted Ligety, Sweden's Markus Larsson (an unfortunate birthday present as he turns 33 on Monday), Sweden's Jens Byggmark, and Italy's Patrick Thaler. U.S's Bode Miller skied out in the first run, making it a frustrating weekend for him as he did not finish Saturday's giant slalom either. Young Nolan Kasper did the best of the U.S. Squad finishing 9th.

It was not easy for Hirscher either. "The weather was really really rough," he said. "The conditions were not the best, sometimes icy and bumpy, sometimes really soft. For me, it was probably the hardest slalom I ever skied."

Kostelic reiterated that statement: "I don't think the conditions could get much tougher than they were today."

However, in the end, it was Hirscher, Kostelic, and Gross on the podium. Wait, not so fast. Gross was asked to leave the podium that he had just been invited to as officials reviewed video analysis. There had been a protest that he had missed a gate early in the course. However, there was no such find and the original ruling stood. He then approached the podium for a second time.

"It was very very difficult," Gross said via English-speaking translator about having to step off the podium to wait out analysis. "I was third, but when I was told that I didn't struggle, I was very relieved and I was so happy cause I have to tell you something—I am very honest and if I had felt anything while I was skiing and had struggled, I would have stopped immediately but it was a sign of relief when I found out I had my first podium."

Hirscher is now leading the overall standings by 230 points. However, he is adament about skiing one race at a time and not thinking about the overall title. "I try not to think about it right now," he said. "There is a lot of time before the season ends so we will see what happens the next race.

However, Kostelic—who leap frogged Norway's Aksel Lund Svindel for second position overall—chimed in about Hirscher's possibliitles. "When you are winning every race you compete in," Kostelic said, "your confidence grows and you ride this wave of success. Marcel is in it right now...he is strong. I think two years ago, I said Marcel is a contender in the overall if he can dominate in the technical events. The question is, can he dominate all season?"

By Vanessa Pierce
FISalpine.com
Sunday 8 January 2012

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