Marcel Hirscher wins GS for record 5th-straight time at Alta Badia
Austrian skier is also a 6-time defending overall World Cup champion
Marcel Hirscher dominated both runs to take a record fifth-straight win in the Alta Badia giant slalom on Sunday in La Villa, Italy.
The Austrian finished a massive 1.70 seconds ahead of Norwegian rival Henrik Kristoffersen, with Zan Kranjec of Slovenia 1.82 behind in third for his first podium result.
While Hirscher dropped some time in the lower portion of his opening run, he was flawless in his second trip down, increasing his advantage at every interval.
"Once I felt good with my setup in the second run, I could really attack and turn on the turbo," Hirscher said.
At the finish, Hirscher let out a big scream then took off his right glove and held up his hand and five fingers to celebrate the record.
Hirscher broke a tie with Italian great Alberto Tomba — the pair had four GS wins each on the challenging Gran Risa course.
Hirscher, the six-time defending overall World Cup champion, also won a slalom in Badia in 2011.
"Ski racing is not very often fun. It's a hard fight, hard work," Hirscher said. "But crossing the finish line seeing all of the lights green is fun. Skiing on this limit is a big challenge."
Kristoffersen also finished second to Hirscher in the GS in Beaver Creek, Colo., earlier this month.
"It's just that Marcel is so much better and I'm not good enough to beat him," Kristoffersen said, adding that he got caught in ruts during his second run.
Erik Read placed 27th as the top Canadian in the field.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/erik_read?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erik_read</a> captures his first GS points of the season today in Alta Badia, ITA, finishing 27th! <br>📷: GEPA <a href="https://t.co/0BiRCybsAM">pic.twitter.com/0BiRCybsAM</a>
—@Alpine_CanadaOlympic and three-time world champion Ted Ligety moved up from seventh after the opening run to finish fifth for his best result in more than a year.
Snow conditions were perfect, although as usual on the Gran Risa, visibility was difficult on the dark, upper section.
Hirscher drew level atop the overall standings with Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, who did not enter the race.
It was the 24th GS win of Hirscher's career, matching him with Ligety for second-most all-time behind Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark's 46.
He also became the first man to win five-consecutive GS races at a single resort. Ligety won four straight in Beaver Creek, Colorado, from 2011-14 and Stenmark also had four in Adelboden, Switzerland, from 1979-82.
In February in Pyeongchang, Hirscher will chase just about the only thing he hasn't won — an Olympic gold medal.