Austrian Marcel Hirscher held his nerve under worsening conditions to finally clinch his first world giant slalom title on Friday after two previous silvers. Hirscher, on track for a sixth consecutive World Cup overall crystal globe and silver medallist in last week's alpine combined in St Moritz, clocked a total time of 2min 13.31sec, with snow flurries and cloud hampering the second run.
"It took me six years to get this world champion title after finishing second twice before," said Hirscher. "It was very hard to fight in the second run, and physically it was one of the toughest runs of the season." Hirscher added: "I said to myself 'let's go, all in and try your best' because skiing out is better than finishing 10th."
The Austrian said it was a "big celebration day" for his country after unheralded team-mate Roland Leitinger, whose previous best World Cup finish was a sixth place in the Soleden giant slalom in 2015, claimed a shock silver, 0.25sec adrift. "The feeling to be in second with silver in St Moritz is unbelievable," said Leitinger, 25. "In the last few training days, I've had good speed on my skis.
"I had a really good first run and said to myself I can do more. I didn't overthink it, I just let it go." Leif Kristian Haugen of Norway usurped favoured teammate Henrik Kristoffersen by five-hundredths of a second to take bronze, at 0.71sec, a first Norwegian medal in the giant slalom since the injured Aksel Lund Svindal won gold in 2007.
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