Hirscher left in trail of risk-taker Hargin

World champion Marcel Hirscher was left ruing a mistake on Sunday that cost him a second Kitzbuehel slalom title, risk-taking Swede Mattias Hargin instead claiming a maiden World Cup triumph.
Hargin, 29 and with just three podiums to his name in eight seasons, is not traditionally known as a risk-taker, often in the mix after first legs but fading on the second legs if he failed to push hard enough.
But the Swede definitely pushed himself to the limit down the Ganslern course on Sunday, clocking the second fastest time on the second leg after sitting third after the first leg topped by home favourite Hirscher.
"It's amazing. It's a cool place to record my first win, it's hard to put into words at the moment," Hargin said.
The Swede said he had taken inspiration from watching Germany's Felix Neureuther, who finished third here, skiing in Wengen last week.
Neureuther was fifth after the first Wengen leg before going all out on the second to claim victory.
"I saw how Felix skied his second run in Wengen and I decided to not think so much and go full," Hargin said.
Hirscher was full of praise for Hargin, but was also quick to add that it was a "stupid question to ask if someone is disappointed with second place".
"It's an unbelieveable feeling to finish second in Kitzbuehel.
"I've got 160 points and that's definitely really, really cool and I'm very thankful," he said of a weekend where he won 80 points apiece for his second places in the super-combined and slalom to consolidate his spot atop the overall World Cup standings.
Hirscher added: "I congratulate Mattias for an unbelievable second run, he took so many risks with all those rolls, it's one of the best runs I've ever seen.
"I was not as strong as Mattias in the second part when you must risk everything and show no compromise."
Turning to next month's World Ski Championships, Hirscher, the defending world slalom champion, played down any concept of pressure, arguing that it was worse keeping the momentum up in the non-stop World Cup season.
"It's pretty easy at championships because you're not thinking about points, only medals, and if you want a medal you know what you have to do: you have to take 100 percent of risk," Hirscher said.
"It's pretty easy, you put your energy on one card and just go."
Neureuther, who will also likely be in the mix in the worlds in Colorado, said he was "very happy being up on the podium".
"Kitzbuehel is one of the biggest slaloms of the year," he said, with the technical specialists now heading to nearby Austrian resort of Schladming for Tuesday's floodlit World Cup slalom.
Source: AFP