ALPINE SKI. Moscow - The excitement was on in the Russian capital when Austria's skiing ace Marcel Hirscher and Germany's surprise winner Lena Duerr were crowned champions of the night in a tight head-to-head slalom battle on 29th January.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA Ð JANUARY 29: Marcel Hirscher of Austria takes 1st place competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men and WomenÕs Parallel slalom on January 29, 2013 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom) Christophe PALLOT/AGENCE ZOOM

Andre Myhrer and Ivica Kostelic turned second and third on the men's side while Veronika Velez Zuzuvola and Mikaela Shiffrin rounded out the ladies' podium.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA Ð JANUARY 29: Ivica Kostelic of Croatia takes 3rd place competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men and WomenÕs Parallel slalom on January 29, 2013 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom) Christophe PALLOT/AGENCE ZOOM

Next to Munich (GER), Moscow was the second city event on the schedule of the 2012/13 Audi FIS Ski World Cup tour.

During an exciting head to head battle, the Marcel Hirscher and Lena Duerr were able to make it through all the heats and will be flying home as winners.

Her best result a sixth place in World Cup, Lena Duerr came to Moscow with the aim to give it her best shot but far from being considered one of the top contenders for a victory. Well, round after round she kept eliminating contenders and in a final head to head with Veronika Velez-Zuzulova, the winner of the Munich City Event, the German once again was the fastest through the finish line.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA Ð JANUARY 29: Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia takes 2nd place competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men and WomenÕs Parallel slalom on January 29, 2013 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom) Christophe PALLOT/AGENCE ZOOM

Never in the top five, the German went all or nothing into every heat of the event.

“It’s so exiting. I really never expected to walk home with a victory,” an excited Duerr said after the race. “ This event has been so much fun, I don’t remember the last time I had that much fun while competing. A classic Slalom is only two runs while here you have to go up again and again and keep your focus for more then two runs but I can’t believe I did it. Coming here to Moscow I knew anything was possible but this victory was definitely unexpected! I am so happy; it might take a while to make it sink in.”

Marcel Hirscher has had an impressive season so far, with podiums and victories in almost all the technical events he has started, he earned himself the leadership in the Overall standings. But in Munich Felix Neureuther snatched away the victory from the Austrian and Moscow was payback time.

“Right now this feels like this is my season, but everyone was so close in this race. I think altogether I might have been less then half a second ahead and every heat was a huge battle. There are so many great skiers here, and even the smallest mistake can cost so much when there are only 19 gates between start and finish.”

If a regular Slalom or Giant Slalom skiers need to focus on two runs with plenty of time in-between, in a City Event winners ski a total of six runs and the pace of the event requires them to head back to start as soon as they are through the finish line.

“It’s a totally different event then what we normally ski,” Hirscher said.  “ Of course if I had to compare it with my victory in Kitzbuehel, it might be less difficult to win in an event where there are 16 opposed to over 6 skiers, plus there was so much pressure on me for that victory which I was missing from Kitzbuehel. But, here you only have one chance to give 100%, things are so tight that unless you step up your game from heat to heat – you are out! I am really happy it all worked out for me tonight!”

MOSCOW, RUSSIA Ð JANUARY 29: Ambiance during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men and WomenÕs Parallel slalom on January 29, 2013 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom) Christophe PALLOT/AGENCE ZOOM

The City Event proved once again to be a great success and now it’s time to carry the excitement from Moscow into the World Championships in Schladming.

The most awaited event of the season kicks off next week with the ladies’ Super G and after that we will be following the best skiers in the world giving a World Championships medal a shot for two weeks.

FISalpine.com
Tuesday 29 January 2013