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SPORTS Monday 9 deceMber 2019
Ford cruises in giant slalom for 1st career World Cup win

By PAT GRAHAM Austria, in late October. GS. It’s a nice gear shift.”
AP Sports Writer That also happened to be The conditions were hardly
BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) his best finish — until Sun- favorable with the snow
— Tommy Ford cruised day. falling and fog rolling in
across the finish line, Ford became the first U.S. throughout the day.
glanced up at the score- racer to capture a World Defending Birds of Prey GS
board and immediately Cup men’s giant slalom champion Stefan Luitz of
pumped his right glove. race on home snow since Germany made a mistake
It was simply the start of the Ted Ligety won in 2014. in the foggy conditions and
celebration as Ford earned Ligety struggled on his fi- didn’t finish his first run.
his first career World Cup nal run and was 11th. He “I love skiing here. But to-
win. tossed his poles to the snow day was a really bad day
The American racer glided after seeing his time. for me,” Luitz said.
through the fog and the The 35-year-old Ligety is He won his first World Cup
falling snow to finish the predominantly focusing on race in Beaver Creek last
Birds of Prey giant slalom the giant slalom this season. December amid some United States’ Tommy Ford reacts after his run during a men’s
in a combined time of 2 “It’s been nice, just doing controversy. Racing at an World Cup giant slalom skiing race Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, in
minutes, 31.25 seconds GS really,” said Ligety, who elevation of around 10,340 Beaver Creek, Colo.
Sunday. Henrik Kristoffersen has captured 24 World Cup feet (3,152 meters), Luitz in- Associated Press
of Norway was second, giant slalom races and has haled from an oxygen tank But the Court of Arbitration That’s why he’s eager for
0.80 seconds back, while been dubbed “Mr. GS” by before his winning race. for Sport upheld Luitz’s ap- another.
fellow Norwegian Leif Kris- his rivals. “I haven’t had to The International Ski Feder- peal against disqualifica- “Not only for the victory, but
tian Nestvold-Haugen took balance as much of my ation later disqualified him tion in March and awarded there is so much around it
third. time, as far as squeezing because its rules prohibit him his first World Cup win. — for my head and my ski-
Ford found himself in new training for four different using supplemental oxygen Luitz said he never really ing,” Luitz said. “That’s why
territory — leading after the disciplines. It’s good just even though the World An- got the chance to cel- I’m trying so hard to get
first run. He didn’t show any having to think only about ti-Doping Agency does not. ebrate his achievement. back on top.”q
hint of nerves before push-
ing out of the start gate
for his final pass. He gazed
down at the awaiting
course for a moment, be-
fore attacking. He flowed
through the gates with the
home crowd urging him to
the finish line.
It’s been quite a start to the
season for the 30-year-old
from Oregon. He finished
fourth at the season-open-
ing GS race in Soelden,

Viktoria
Rebensburg wins

World Cup super-G
in Lake Louise
LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (AP)
— Viktoria Rebensburg
of Germany raced to her
fourth career World Cup
super-G victory, withstand-
ing a late charge by Italy’s
Nicol Delago.
Rebensburg, the 2010
Olympic giant slalom win-
ner, finished in 1 minute, 20
seconds Sunday to edge
Delago by 0.35 seconds.
Delago was the 31st rac-
er of the afternoon and
bumped Corinne Suter
of Switzerland into third
place.
Three-time overall World
Cup champion Mikaela
Shiffrin of the United States
wound up in 10th place.
Shiffrin is the reigning cham-
pion in the season-long su-
per-G competition.q