American skier Ted Ligety his fourth World Cup in Giant Slalom after winning his fifth event of the season on Saturday. “To win here again is a super cool feeling,” , who has won in Kranjska Gora five times and claimed the GS title with one event left in the season. “I am really proud of that.”
Ligety stood on the podium in all seven GS events this season, by Michael von Gruenigen of Switzerland in 1995-96. Ligety dominated despite being vocally opposed to a rule change in ski length and shape effected by the FIS this season.
In 2011, the FIS announced a change to require longer, straighter skis for safety purposes in the 2012/2013 season. Ligety said the change was unfounded and doubted whether it would lead to fewer injuries. Once the season started, he won some races so handily that other skiers asked the FIS to check his skis. The FIS said they met regulations. Ligety said that the new regulations gave him an advantage over other skiers.
“It takes a little bit different technique,” Ligety said. “A lot of guys are trying to ski like they did in the past, but that makes them much slower in many conditions. I can ski pretty similar to the way I did before as my technique matches up better with these skis.”
To read about Ligety’s original disagreement with the FIS, read the 2011 story, “Behind the Curve.” For more on Ligety’s win this season, visit .