Hirscher gets fourth season win in Schladming slalom

Jan 24, 2012, 20:57 GMT

Schladming, Austria - Marcel Hirscher shook off a recent controversy to win the Schladming World Cup slalom ski race on Tuesday night, his ninth career win but first in his native Austria.

Hirscher clocked a combined total 1 minute 43.01 seconds under the floodlights as he hung on to a first-run lead for his fourth season victory.

Stefano Gross of Italy came a career-best second in 1:43.23 and Mario Matt gave the Austrian fans more reason to cheer by placing third in 1:43.29, denying Croatian World Cup holder Ivica Kostelic a podium finish by one hundredth of a second.

Kostelic made himself unpopular in Austria when he appeared to support claims that Hirscher straddled a gate en route to his recent victory in Zagreb. But the two made peace and Hirscher was cleared from any wrongdoing by the ruling body FIS.

Kostelic tops the World Cup with 905 points from Hirscher, who has 825. The slalom rankings have identical top placings, with Kostelic on 595 and Hirscher on 460.

The men's World Cup continues on Saturday with a downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

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