Hirscher dominates again to win World Cup giant slalom
ADELBODEN, SWITZERLAND >> Marcel Hirscher overturned rival Henrik Kristoffersen’s first-run lead for another clear win in a World Cup giant slalom on Saturday.
Olympic champion Hirscher was near-perfect through the flatter middle section of the Chuenisbargli course to turn a 0.12-second deficit into victory by 0.71 over his regular runner-up Kristoffersen.
Thomas Fanara was third, trailing 1.04 behind Hirscher, who has won four of five traditional giant slaloms this season.
In an era dominated by Hirscher, the 24-year-old Kristoffersen now has 18 career podium finishes in giant slalom — including an Olympic silver medal — but just a single World Cup win.
“That is life at the moment, he is the best,” Kristoffersen said of Hirscher. “I fight with everything I had and my legs are completely gone.”
Hirscher’s eighth World Cup win this season padded his lead in the overall standings as he seeks a record-extending eighth straight title.
With 100 World Cup points for victory, Hirscher now leads overall by 365 over Kristoffersen. The gap between them is 238 in the season-long giant slalom standings.
Hirscher’s dominating second run turned a tight race — with 1.00 separating the top 11 in the morning — into another procession for the Austrian great.
The 29-year-old Hirscher’s 66th career World Cup win is 20 fewer than Ingmar Stenmark on the all-time list.
The second run was delayed by 45 minutes until fog cleared from the course. It meant Kristoffersen left the starting gate at 3:03 p.m. local time on a hill that quickly darkens after the sun slips behind surrounding mountains.
Ivanova wins World Cup women’s luge race, and German sled slides to doubles crown
SIGULDA, LATVIA >> Russia’s Tatyana Ivanova had the fastest time in both heats Saturday to win a women’s World Cup luge race, upsetting German star and Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger.
Summer Britcher of the U.S. was third, her fifth medal of the season and marking the fifth consecutive racing weekend that USA Luge has left a World Cup with at least one medal.
Ivanova finished her two runs in 1 minute, 24.336 seconds. Geisenberger was clocked in 1:24.464 and Britcher finished in 1:24.686 — just four-thousandths ahead of Italy’s Andrea Voetter. Also for the U.S., Brittney Arndt was 16th. The U.S. was without Emily Sweeney, who skipped the week to train in Germany for the upcoming world championships.
Britcher became the third woman to medal in three singles events this season, joining only Geisenberger and Germany’s Julia Taubitz. Britcher has two silvers and a bronze in singles, along with another silver and a bronze from team relays.
Germany’s Jamanka wins, Meyers Taylor 2nd for US in bobsled
KOENIGSSEE, GERMANY >> Olympic champion Mariama Jamanka of Germany teamed with Annika Drazek to win a World Cup women’s bobsled race Saturday, their third victory in four starts this season.
Elana Meyers Taylor and Lake Kwaza of the U.S. were second, their best finish of the season and the top World Cup finish so far in 2018-19 by any USA Bobsled and Skeleton sled. Germany took third in the sled driven by Stephanie Schneider and pushed by Ann-Christin Strack.
Jamanka posted the fastest time in both heats. Meyers Taylor and Kwaza got their third medal of the season, with the first two being bronze. Also for the U.S., Brittany Reinbolt and Lauren Gibbs finished 14th.
Later Saturday, Germany’s Francesco Friedrich drove to a gold in the twoman race. His sled was pushed by Martin Grothkopp.