Jitloff 14th in GS on rough course

By USSA

ADELBODEN, Switzerland — It was a warm day at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup in Adelboden, following a night of heavy rain. And even with the race crew working around the clock, the conditions were rough for the giant slalom. Fighting against the bumpy, salted course, Ted Ligety (Park City) took seventh and Tim Jitloff (Reno) 14. Austria’s Marcel Hirscher took the win.

Hirscher of Austria grabbed his sixth victory this season, beating the field by more than a second. The Frenchman Alex Pinturault—with “Je Suis Charlie” written on his helmet — took second and Henrik Kristoffersen from Norway was third.

Although spectators could see many patches of green next to the course, the race did not meet the same fate as the simultaneously scheduled Bad Kleinkirchheim and the spectators turned out in droves. After a fun public bib draw the night before — in which the men entered the stage on a zipline — the men were excited for the race.

With a fifth place first run, Ligety was poised for the podium, but the bumpy conditions slowed him down on second run. Disappointed in the finish, he sits in second in the fight for the overall globe.

Jitloff had a great morning in Adelboden, finishing in 13 after the first run, but had a wild ride second run with plenty of bobbles on the tough snow. The run sat him in 14 place overall, leaving his quest for a top-10 GS finish for another day.

Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City), Mark Engel (Truckee), Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage) and David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, Colo.) did not qualify for the second run.