Skiing - Overall champion Hirscher voted skier of the year

Defending overall World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher has been voted skier of the year by journalists. The international association of ski journalists says its members have “massively chosen” the 23-year-old Austrian for the Skieur d’Or - Serge Lang Trophy, its annual award named after the founder of Alpine skiing’s World Cup in the 1960s. The association describes Hirscher as “a very charismatic and dedicated athlete” who has a “spectacular style on snow.” Hirscher beat Swiss rivals Beat Feuz and Didier Cuche, as well as women’s overall champion Lindsey Vonn of the United States. Ivica Kostelic of Croatia won the trophy last year. Vonn was the last female skier to pick up the award in 2009.