СВЕТОВНА КУПА БАНСКО, ГИГАНТСКИ СЛАЛОМ, МЪЖЕ. Марсел Хиршер от Австрия триумфира в днешния гигантски слалом за Световната купа в Банско. Независимо че времето се опита да разпъне нервите на организатори и състезатели, стартът се състоя. Подобаващо променливата облачност и силните пориви на вятъра докараха лек смут, но това не попречи за успешното провеждане на състезанието. Днес определено не беше ден на водача в класирането на гигантски слалом за Световната купа Тед Лигети. Той направи ужасяваща и за самия него грешка още в началото на втория манш, което го запрати на последното 27-мо място. Така Марсел Хиршер необезпокояван зае първото стъпало на почетната стълбичка. Втори се нареди италианецът Масимилиано Блардоне, а трети неочаквано стана автрийският младеж Марсел Матис. Матис стартира с номер 35 в първия манш, но явно има класа, която го сложи на третото място.

Марсел Хиршер, Австрия

От българските състезатели, Гого не завърши първия манш, а Никола Чонгаров не успя да влезе в 30-тицата, за да кара и на втория манш.

За съжаление на всички почитатели на уникалната американска ски звезда Боде Милър, той сподели съдбата на Никола и не успя да се класира за второто спускане. В типичен за него акробатичен стил Боде плонжира точно преди да пресече финала и така пропадна възможността публиката да го види за втори път по пистата в Банско. След края на манша Боде Милър се отправи абсолютно сам към кабинковия лифт и раздаде автографи на всички желаещи. Ние от SKI.BG имахме шанса да уловим този миг и да си поговорим с него, включително за преминаването му с рали Gumball 3000 през България миналата година. Това още веднъж доказа, колко велик спортист и скромен човек е Милър.

Подробности и още фотография тук!

Боде Милър, САЩ

Боде Милър на Бъндеришка поляна

Тед Лигети, САЩ

Фаталната грешка на Тед Лигети във втория манш

Блардоне, Хиршер, Матис

Победителите получиха купите от МП на Р България г-н Б.Борисов

Масимилияно Блардоне

Марсел Матис, Австрия

Ligety skis out, Hirscher takes his 7th season win

BANSKO, Bulgaria -- Ligety skis out, bloodies his chin. Hirscher takes the win. His teammate Macel Mathis, 20, gets third out of nowhere. Massimiliano Blardone takes second on the track named after his famous Italian countryman Alberto Tomba.

It was a rough and tumble, switch around in the men's giant slalom here today. Hirscher came from a 0.16-second deficit after run 1 to win by an astounding 1.39 seconds (total combined time was 2 minutes, 25.35 seconds). “I skied two of the best GS runs of my life even after the mistake in the first run,” the Austrian said immediately after the victory.

During his first run, the technical specialist, who is on fire this season, taking home is 7th win, made a big mistake that almost caused him to crash. He athletically hung on, maintained his poise, and still was faster than the then leader Thomas Fanara. Ligety came down next, and though slower on top of the course, made up time to secure first place by 0.16 seconds going into run No. 2.

He couldn't close the deal on the second run, however, as some compressions were giving athletes problems and he got bounced, and missed the gate. He hiked up, but finished a disappointing 27th place, 7 seconds back. In his stumble, he got whipped by a gate and cut his face. Ligety was not only wounded emotionally, but battered physically in his efforts to win today.

Bansko organizers invited a celebrity cast to the events this weekend. In the crowd were famous alpiners such as five-time overall champion Marc Girardelli and Olympic champion Alberto Tomba, plus FIS President Gian-Franco Kasper. After the competition, Tomba joined the flower ceremony and had some words: “Well, Ligety went out in the second run,” Tomba shrugged, “you know this is skiing.”

Hirscher has surpassed Ligety in the GS discipline standings by 81 points. He is only behind the injured Ivica Kostelic by 118 (third behind Beat Feuz) in the overall standings.

The skier of the day, however, might be Hirscher's young teammate, Mathis. After the first run, he was in position 26. He skied the fastest second run of the day—1:13.26—to place third and secure his first career podium. His only other results on the World Cup were a 27th place in Alta Badia and 25th in Adelboden this season. He isn't even listed in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Guide 2012.

Mathis stood in the leader box grinning from ear-to-ear as competitors passed through giving him high fives and hugs. He sat through 18 skiers—watching the first run's third and sixth place finishers Fanara and Benjamin Raich ski out—until Blardone charged into the lead, knocking the 20-year-old out of the box. Mathis said he was nervous in the leader box watching veterans ski down and miss his mark, but added, “I was more nervous on the course.”

“It's great to be on the podium for the first time,” said a happy, at loss-for-words racer. “I'm trying hard, I've worked hard the whole year. It's just great to be on the podium.”

Just as this entire season has proved difficult for racers, organizers, and officials to deal with weather, it was no different today. Conditions went from low, stormy visibility in half of the first run to sunny skies, but the wind never stopped gusting.

For every single guy it's different,” Ligety said. “The wind conditions are playing a huge role in the race today.”

That was the case—and it was cold, -6 to -9 degrees celsius. It was certainly a variable weather day. During the first run, the stormy skies cleared for bib 15, Bode Miller, but he couldn't take advantage. On the second to last gate, he got off balance, spun around twice as he crossed the finish line. He finished in 47th position, 16 seconds behind Ligety and didn't qualify for the second run. Neither did top seeded racers like Cyprien Richard and Romed Baumann. The second run knocked out Fanara, Raich, and Marc Berthod.

Regardless of the circumstances, the athletes enjoyed this hill. “It's a cool hill,” Ligety said. “It's pretty technical and never really super flat, and not a really super steep hill either. It's a good hill where...you can generate some speed.”

The slalom kicks off Sunday at 10:00.

View video from Tomba and Mathis about today's GS:

By Vanessa Pierce
FISalpine.com
Saturday 18 February 2012

OFFICIAL RESULTS
18.02.2012
Race codex: 0240
Valid for FIS Points : YES
Bansko (BUL)
FIS World Cup
Men's Giant Slalom
TD FIS GAYRAUD BERNARD GRE
Referee G. HUJARA FIS
Chief of Race V. STEFANOV BUL
Technical Data
Start Altitude 2060 m
Finish Altitude 1610 m
Vertical Drop 450
Homologation Number 8660/11/07
Course Setter F. GAMPER NOR
Number of Gates 55

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
1 5 53831 HIRSCHER Marcel 1989 AUT 1:11.23 1:14.12 2:25.35 0.00
2 14 292000 BLARDONE Massimiliano 1979 ITA 1:12.38 1:14.36 2:26.74 8.32
3 35 53985 MATHIS Marcel 1991 AUT 1:13.55 1:13.26 2:26.81 8.74
4 7 421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund 1982 NOR 1:12.45 1:14.58 2:27.03 10.06
5 13 50742 REICHELT Hannes 1980 AUT 1:13.14 1:14.11 2:27.25 11.37
6 32 501017 MYHRER Andre 1983 SWE 1:13.24 1:14.03 2:27.27 11.49
7 29 420148 KARLSEN Truls Ove 1975 NOR 1:13.21 1:14.13 2:27.34 11.91
8 34 192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste 1984 FRA 1:12.21 1:15.14 2:27.35 11.97
8 1 51007 SCHOERGHOFER Philipp 1983 AUT 1:11.47 1:15.88 2:27.35 11.97
10 21 292491 MOELGG Manfred 1982 ITA 1:13.46 1:13.95 2:27.41 12.33
11 27 510727 DEFAGO Didier 1977 SUI 1:13.73 1:13.73 2:27.46 12.63
12 30 531799 FORD Tommy 1989 USA 1:13.27 1:14.37 2:27.64 13.71
13 38 292967 EISATH Florian 1984 ITA 1:13.73 1:14.02 2:27.75 14.37
14 37 201702 NEUREUTHER Felix 1984 GER 1:13.13 1:14.64 2:27.77 14.49
15 12 292120 SIMONCELLI Davide 1979 ITA 1:12.97 1:14.94 2:27.91 15.32
16 9 194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA 1:12.38 1:15.54 2:27.92 15.38
17 22 990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni 1990 ITA 1:13.84 1:14.22 2:28.06 16.22
18 36 561032 JAZBEC Janez 1984 SLO 1:12.44 1:15.69 2:28.13 16.64
18 24 534959 JITLOFF Tim 1985 USA 1:13.64 1:14.49 2:28.13 16.64
20 11 202462 DOPFER Fritz 1987 GER 1:12.71 1:15.59 2:28.30 17.66
21 10 511313 JANKA Carlo 1986 SUI 1:13.29 1:15.23 2:28.52 18.97
22 25 101895 ROY Jean-Philippe 1979 CAN 1:13.06 1:15.66 2:28.72 20.17
23 3 421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR 1:12.90 1:16.26 2:29.16 22.80
24 17 180534 SANDELL Marcus 1987 FIN 1:12.50 1:16.78 2:29.28 23.52
25 18 192506 MISSILLIER Steve 1984 FRA 1:12.50 1:17.68 2:30.18 28.91
26 20 501324 OLSSON Matts 1988 SWE 1:13.36 1:17.31 2:30.67 31.84
27 6 534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA 1:11.07 1:21.34 2:32.41 42.26
Disqualified 1st run
41 51159 NOESIG Christoph 1985 AUT
Did not qualify for 2nd run
54 750088 RISTEVSKI Antonio 1989 MKD
53 380290 SAMSAL Dalibor 1985 CRO
51 102435 JANYK Michael 1982 CAN
50 30149 SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier 1980 ARG
49 92534 CHONGAROV Nikola 1989 BUL
47 534507 CHRISTIANSON Charles 1984 USA
46 192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA
44 102912 SPENCE Brad 1984 CAN
43 191778 PICHOT Sebastien 1981 FRA
42 150644 KRYZL Krystof 1986 CZE
39 421859 NILSEN Markus 1989 NOR
33 510993 ALBRECHT Daniel 1983 SUI
28 511352 VILETTA Sandro 1986 SUI
26 421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian 1987 NOR
19 191746 DE TESSIERES Gauthier 1981 FRA
16 532431 MILLER Bode 1977 USA
Did not finish 2nd run
23 510997 BERTHOD Marc 1983 SUI
8 50625 RAICH Benjamin 1978 AUT
2 191750 FANARA Thomas 1981 FRA
Did not finish 1st run
52 90131 GEORGIEV Georgi 1987 BUL
48 291145 DEVILLE Cristian 1981 ITA
45 990081 CASSE Mattia 1990 ITA
40 511638 TUMLER Thomas 1989 SUI
31 192653 FREY Thomas 1984 FRA
15 51215 BAUMANN Romed 1986 AUT
4 191423 RICHARD Cyprien 1979 FRA