BEAVER CREEK — American Ted Ligety dominated a World Cup giant slalom today at Beaver Creek, capturing his second victory in three GS races this season.
In a race originally scheduled for Val d’Isere, France, but moved here because of lack of snow there, Ligety won by .69 seconds over Marcel Hirscher of Austria. Hirscher won here Sunday when Ligety finished second.
“I definitely went super hard, trying to go as hard as I knew I could,” said Ligety, who is from Park City, Utah. “It’s been hard for me to get used to this grippy snow here, and that last run I was finally able to go at the tempo I wanted to, and had a great run.”
Ligety had the fourth-fastest first run but crushed the field in the second run.
“I definitely skied with a lot more intenity that last run,” Ligety said. “I just got used to the snow more, and had everything set up right, and just knew exactly what I wanted to do. And didn’t want to finish second again.”
Ligety returns to action here Thursday in a slalom race, also rescheduled from Val d’Isere. Wednesday the women will race for the first time at Beaver Creek in a super-G featuring Vail resident Lindsey Vonn, who won the season’s first super-G Sunday in Lake Louise, Alberta.
