SCHLADMING, Austria (Feb. 6) - Twelve years after American Daron Rahlves stole super G gold from the Austrians at the 2001 World Championships in St. Anton, the U.S. Ski Team's Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) has done the same. Ligety used his giant slalom skills to take command on the steep bottom section of the course at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships to take a two tenths of a second win over France's Gautier De Tessieres. Heavily favored Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway took bronze. Universal Sports Network will carry same day coverage from Schladming at 11:00 a.m. EST today.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) won super G taking gold at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming.
- Running tenth in flat light, Ligety knifed the bottom section of the course using his technical giant slalom skills to move into the lead over France's Gauthier De Tessieres by two tenths. Pre-race favorite Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway held the lead most of the way before a late mistake cost him the lead, finishing two hundredths behind De Tessieres
- Ligety has never won a super G at any race level. His best previous was a Dec. 2009 second in an Audi FIS World Cup in Val d'Isere.
- It was his third World Championships medal and second gold.
- It was the first super G gold for the USA since Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) won in Bormio, Italy in 2005. Miller had tied for silver two years earlier in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) won in St. Anton, Austria in 2001.
- Skiing in their first World Championships, Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) was 13th and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) 15th. Olympic bronze medalist Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) did not finish.
- Universal Sports Network will broadcast same day coverage at 11:00 a.m. EST.
- Women's super combined is up on Friday with the men's downhill Saturday.
Ted Ligety, World Championships
Bronze, 2009, Val d'Isere, giant slalom
Gold, 2011, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, giant slalom
Gold, 2013, Schladming, super G
QUOTES
Ted Ligety
I thought actually I had a good chance here because my super G is going well. But knowing this hill, I knew it would be good for someone like me who is more of a GS type skier. I put a lot of risk especially on the bottom where it was steeper. The whole way I was just trying to link up turns. I saw a lot of guys sliding the top of the turn I new I was capable of making it cleaner.
The bottom I knew I could make up time - it suited my technique. I took a lot of risk. It was a good day.
I think I have a really good chance in the combined and the GS. But ski racing's a tough sport and you can't count on those expectations.
(On Lindsey Vonn) That's a part of ski racing and if you let it get to you, you have no chance in ski racing. You're bummed out for her but you just have to move on from that and know she'll be back strong next year. As a ski racer, you can't let that effect you.
Sasha Rearick, Men's Head Coach
Ted's been skiing great. All season he's been charging - clean skiing and with the confidence to take it down the hill at super G speeds. We had a great training camp leading into here. He came in skiing with confidence and executed great skiing. When you put those things together - why not?
The key is his first his GS foundation and two, his fitness because of how hard he worked this summer. He was able to able to hang tight with the best gliders on top and put some time on them on the bottom.
This creates a lot of momentum for us. The key is to keep working hard 100% every day - 100% effort. Weibrecht's skiing today was awesome but he got unlucky on a turn near the bottom. Biesemeyer - great job coming back from injury and in the points. And RCS, starting back where people were having no chance, he skied great with excellence execution. For a young kid to do that at the World Championships was fun to see.
Daron Rahlves (on his 2001 gold in super G at St. Anton Worlds)
To compete in Austria was the most important place for me to perform besides at home on the USA. Winning Worlds in front of the Austrian fans and coming out on top over two of the most dominant Austrians Maier and Eberharter was a big deal. Like Kitz, St Anton helped put me on a legendary list.
Aksel Lund Svindal
I saw Ted's run. He went full risk all the way and made no mistakes.
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