The race went off without a hitch under sunny skies and cold October temperatures. It was a beautiful day. Ted Ligety won the race, his first victory in Soelden. It was impressive. He won the first run, and then held off hard-charging Alexis Pinturault, the twenty year old Frenchman, in the second run. Pinturault started 20th in the first run, began the second run in 4th place, then finished 2nd overall. In GS, he showed that he may be Ted’s biggest rival in the coming years. Incredible skiing on his part.
It was a big weekend for the USA. They swept. Ted won today, and Lindsey Vonn won her first GS of her career yesterday. Vonn’s win marks the first time a US woman has won a World Cup Giant Slalom since 1991, and the first overseas victory for a US woman since her birth year, 1984.
The guys had a blast. They were seven of 25,000 screaming fans at a ski race. It is really special that they got to be a part of this. From a personal standpoint, my first real World Cup was watching the Hannenkahm downhill and Schladming night slalom in the same weekend as an 18 year old. 70,000 and 50,000 fans respectively. Being an American growing up racing in America, it changed my perspective permanently (for the better).
The pictures and videos tell the rest of the story. Tomorrow is our last day before heading home. Slalom at the top of Tyrol, as they say.
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