Christian Hirschbuehl leads home Austrian one-two to seal maiden World Cup win in Lech

Christian Hirschbuehl claimed a first World Cup win with victory in the parallel slalom in Lech on Sunday.

Hirschbuehl beat compatriot Dominik Raschner – the form racer of the day – in the final after ousting last year’s runner up in Lech Henrik Kristoffersen in the semi-final stage. The result would represent a first podium finish for both Hirschbuehl and Raschner.

“It’s a relief and a dream come true,” said Hirschbuehl afterwards.

The result was not without controversy, though, with the half-second rule coming under scrutiny again. The rule states that the maximum deficit after the first run can only be 0.5 seconds. In both his semi-final – against Kristoffersen – and final – against Raschner – Hirschbuehl began on the slower blue course, and finished over half a second behind is opponent.

However, with the deficit capped to 0.5 seconds, on the final run the 31-year-old overhauled his opponent when racing on the faster red course. Thus, Hirschbuehl's net time was greater than Kristoffersen and Raschner's but he raced the conditions to win the second World Cup of the season in front of a home crowd in Lech/Zuers. His previous best World Cup showing was fourth in the slalom in Wengen, Switzerland in 2017.

McGrath beat Kristoffersen in the small final to secure his spot on the podium in only his second meeting following injury. Alexis Pinturault, winner of the 2020 event, registered a DNF in qualification.