Story highlights
Ted Ligety wins World Cup giant slalom at Alta Badia
U.S. star has won three of four giant slaloms so far this season
Slovenia's Tina Maze wins fourth consecutive women's World Cup slalom
U.S. star Lindsay Vonn fails to score a single point for third straight race
U.S. star Ted Ligety won the men’s World Cup giant slalom at Alta Badia, Italy, after finishing over two seconds quicker than his rivals.
Ligety’s 14th World Cup win was his third in four giant slaloms completed so far this season.
The victory and the 100 points takes Ligety to within 106 points of World Cup overall leader Aksel Lund Svindal, who finished ninth.
Ligety all but wrapped up victory on his first run, moving well clear of Austria’s Marcel Hirscher and France’s Thomas Fanara.
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“I had a great first run and on the second leg I tried not to think of the big lead that I had,” Ligety told reporters.
“You can easily lose your focus and even a two seconds lead can be slashed.
“But I am not unbeatable in giant slalom, just look at Val D’Isere last weekend. The piste there is really different and the gates are close to each other.”
Lund Svindal sits on 614 points from 12 races with Ligety on 508 and Hirscher on 460 with another 24 events to follow.
Lindsey Vonn vows to fight on in bid to race the men
Meanwhile, Slovenia’s Tina Maze won her fourth consecutive World Cup giant slalom at Courchevel.
Maze eased home by 00.22 seconds to extend her lead in the World Cup overall standings.
Reigning World Cup winner Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. failed to win a single point for the third race in a row.
Vonn is down in fourth place on 414 points with leader Maze well clear on 799.