Updated 1:15 p.m. MST Mar. 11, 2010
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - Canada's Erik Guay kept his stride Thursday, winning his second straight super G to notch the title, the first World Cup globe for a Canadian since 1982 during the Audi FIS World Cup Finals in Germany. Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah, led for the U.S., finishing 16th.
Guay ends the season with 331 World Cup points in the super G, with Austria’s Michael Walchhofer second with 316. Thursday's result was Guay’s third World Cup podium in the past five days, and his second at the FIS World Cup Finals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is the eighth World Cup podium result of the 2009-2010 season for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team.
The last Canadian male to win an overall World Cup discipline title was Steve Podborski, in the downhill in 1982.
Guay, who was fastest at each interval, finished in a winning time of 1:26.36 seconds. With the win Guay vaulted from third on the men’s super G discipline standings to his first place finish.
“I am completely ecstatic,” said the 28-year-old Guay. “Coming into today I knew that I had an outside shot at winning the globe but I knew that I was going to need to take some chances to win. And it feels absolutely amazing (to do it.).”
Guay was quick to thank his serviceman, Austrian-born Erich Schnepfleitner, along with his coaches and sponsors who contributed to his result, saying he shared an emotional moment with them in the finish area following today’s race.
Guay entered today’s race in third in the discipline standings, behind Walchhofer and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway. Walchhofer faltered, placing an uncharacteristic 15th today while Svindal was third, 0.63 seconds behind the Canadian. Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic was second today in 1:26.75.
“For me it was easy,” said Guay of his pre-race preparation and mental approach. “I needed to go as hard as I could and take as many chances as I could. And I did that. I took a lot of risk all the way down,” said Guay. “It panned out even though there were a lot of times I thought I was right on the limit. There were a couple times when I though I might be missing the gate or it might be too late to make up time.”
Ligety was having a strong race until falling slightly off the race line into powder on the side of the track as heavy snow fell throughout the men's race.
"I feel like I skied well in places, but just made that one huge mistake. When you get off the track, especially when it's been snowing, you slow down a lot," Ligety said. "The snow on the hill was good and the light on the course was OK. It was just if you got outside the line it would definitely be pretty powdery."
However, for Ligety, being able to get on the hill in the super G meant having one more trip down the race slope before Friday's all-important giant slalom where he will be challenging for his second GS crystal globe.
"It's good to get on the hill. It's not the greatest speed hill for me, but we'll see how it goes in GS. It isn't the toughest hill in the world," Ligety said. "Hopefully I can hold on to the title and ski well tomorrow. To keep the giant slalom title is all that really matters."
In the GS globe race, Ligety leads the competition by only 43 points, which he said serves as a little bit of extra motivation.
"I like my chances for sure. I was skiing well, so it's just a matter of how I will pull through. Forty-three points isn't a good enough lead to feel comfortable and that's good because I have to push myself," Ligety said.
Despite missing the super G points in the season finale, Ligety closed the season 14th in the discipline standings boosted by a second at the Val d'Isere, France World Cup in December. Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.) wrapped the year in 18th for super G followed by Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) in 23rd and Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, Calif.) in 25th.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 AUDI FIS WORLD CUP FINALS
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - March 11, 2010
Men's Super G
1. Erik Guay, Canada, 1:26.36
2. Ivica Kostelic, Croatia, 1:26.75
3. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 1:26.99
4. Hannes Reichelt, Austria, 1:27.24
5. Georg Streitberger, Austria, 1:27.48
