Kristoffersen gets fastest time after 1st run in WCup slalom

By foxsports
Published

VAL D'ISERE, France (AP) Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway edged countryman Sebastian Foss-Solevaag to post the fastest time in the first run of a World Cup slalom race on Sunday.

Kristoffersen was the first down the choppy Face de Bellevarde course and made the most of it with a time of 51.66 seconds - placing him .31 seconds ahead of Foss-Solevaag and .79 clear of Frenchman Alexis Pinturault.

World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher, who earned a record fifth win in Val d'Isere in the giant slalom on Saturday, started fourth but struggled for speed and the Olympic silver medalist finished eighth fastest, 1.66 back.

Veteran Julien Lizeroux put himself in surprise contention for a podium spot, with the 36-year-old Frenchman's aggressive run placing him .99 back in fourth heading into the second run.

Hirscher, bidding for a fifth consecutive overall title this season, was .52 behind Kristoffersen at the first split, .97 adrift at the second, and shrugged his shoulders ruefully at the finish.

''I wasn't expecting Marcel to be so far behind,'' Kristoffersen said. ''My teammate (Foss-Solevaag) did a great run.''

Stefano Gross got off to a strong start, with the Italian just .02 behind Kristoffersen at the first split before missing a gate halfway down.

American Ted Ligety, who failed to qualify for the second run on Saturday, was 20th this time.

Kristoffersen will hope for better luck than Saturday, when he was just .14 behind Hirscher after the first run but went out of the race after straddling a gate on the top section in the second run.