Chodounsky 11th Under Schladming Lights

SCHLADMING, Austria (Jan. 26, 2016) – Under the lights of Schladming with more than 50,000 screaming fans, David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) was set up perfectly for another top Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom result.

“I came out firing up top and felt pretty good, then down at the bottom, I don’t know if I just tightened up a little bit or what. I just didn’t ski well,” said Chodounsky, who was fifth after the first run, but finished 11th. “I’m having great first runs … and one of these times I’m going to put two of them together and it’s going to be pretty sweet.”

Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway took the victory in electrifying fashion, overcoming a 1.10-second first-run deficit to take his sixth slalom victory of the season, extending his overall World Cup slalom lead to 180 points over Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who finished second Tuesday night. Last year's Schladming winner, Alexander Khoroshilov of Russia finished third.

David Chodounsky skied to fifth first run.

Hirscher kept the Austrian fans on their toes, struggling first run due to a goggle issue and finishing 20th. However, with clear goggles second run, he turned on the afterburners to win the second run by almost a full second and climb the ladder to take second.

With his second-place points, Hirscher moved into the overall World Cup lead by 53 points over Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, who is out for the rest of the season following successful knee surgery last weekend after crashing in the downhill at Kitzbuehel. Kristoffersen is now third overall, just 98 points back.

Germany’s Felix Neureuther won the first run and was well on his way to a podium result - leading by 0.30 seconds midway through the second run. However, he missed a gate and did not finish.

Four other American’s competed Tuesday night: Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) and Robby Kelly (Starksboro, VT) failed to qualify for the second run. Tim Kelley (Starksboro, VT) and Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) did not finish the first run.

Chodounsky ended up in 11th overall after second run.

Up next, the men’s World Cup circuit moves to Garmisch, Germany Jan. 30-31 with downhill and super G.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen won his sixth World Cup slalom of the season Tuesday night, making him the first man to win six World Cup slaloms in a season since Alberto Tomba in 1994-95.
• Austria’s Marcel Hirscher finished second and moved into the overall World Cup lead.
• David Chodounsky scored his sixth top 20 World Cup slalom result of the season.
• Kristoffersen overcame a 1.10-second first-run deficit to take the win, the first time in his career he has won after finishing the first run more than a second off the pace.

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
I came out firing up top and felt pretty good, and then down at the bottom, I don’t know if I just tightened up a little bit or what. I just didn’t ski well. I was just grinding down here and losing time.

I’m going to learn from all of these things. I’m having great first runs … and one of these times I’m going to put two of them together and it’s going to be pretty sweet.

RESULTS
Men’s slalom