BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) Austrian technical specialist Marcel Hirscher won a World Cup super-G race in snowy conditions Saturday, holding off Americans Ted Ligety and Andrew Weibrecht.
Hirscher, winner of four straight overall titles, earned his first victory in the speed discipline by finishing in 1 minute, 6.90 seconds on a shortened course. Ligety, who was running 29th, charged into second, 0.33 seconds back. Weibrecht took third.
No one was more stunned than Hirscher, who said he's only trained in super-G a total of four days this season.
''I impressed me, too, and a lot of people as well,'' Hirscher said. ''It is an unbelievable result for me. I've trained so much in all the other disciplines, nearly nothing in super-G. That is a big surprise.''
Hirscher benefited from the constantly changing conditions. He was the fourth skier to hit the course and the snow was just lightly falling. Like always, he was attacking and in complete control.
Later, when some of the favorites were going - like Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal and his teammate Kjetil Jansrud, who went 1-2 in the downhill Friday - the snow picked up intensity and the bumps were even more difficult to see.
And even later, the sun peeked out again - just before Ligety took the course.
Simply a strange weather day.
''That's a part of the game,'' said Svindal, who struggled and finished well back, ending his streak of three straight World Cup victories. ''As skier racers, you kind of know this can happen. ... I made a stupid mistake.''
Because of deteriorating conditions and low visibility, the start was moved to a lower spot on the hill. The change appeared to benefit giant slalom standouts such as Hirscher and Ligety.
''There were a couple of turns where you had the possibility to use GS turns,'' Hirscher said.
In the past, Hirscher has talked about how he's not a big fan of speed, how he prefers the rhythm of giant slalom and slalom races. Asked if he might change his mind and do more speed events now, he simply said: ''I don't think so. ... It is not possible to be good in four disciplines.''
Ligety, of Park City, Utah, felt right at home on this course. He's won five World Cup GS races at this venue and a world title in the discipline last February.
Still, he knows he caught a break with the weather.
''It wasn't `sunny, sunny' for me, but it was brighter,'' said Ligety, who will be the favorite in the giant slalom on Sunday. ''When I was watching Aksel and Jansrud, it was a full blizzard for them. When I went, it was still snowing, but barely. Not full sun, but definitely beneficial.''
Same for Weibrecht, who earned his first World Cup podium spot. That pairs nicely with his two Olympic medals in super-G.
Not only that, but ends a question he's always asked: When will he get on the World Cup podium?
''To get that monkey off my back, where I don't have to field that question anymore, (is) unbelievable,'' said Weibrecht, who's from Lake Placid, New York. ''That's one of the big things that's missing from my resume - a World Cup podium and World Cup win. I've been knocking on door.''
