Ted Ligety insisted Wednesday that his second Olympic gold, coming in his preferred giant slalom discipline, was down to being a keen “student of the sport”.
The 29-year-old American dominated the event in Rosa Khutor, clocking a combined total of 2min 45.29sec over two runs, to add a giant slalom gold to the super-combined one he won at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
“I definitely feel like I’m a student of the sport,” said the racer from Park City, Utah.
“I analyse a lot of guys’ skiing, (to see) ways to get faster, ways to improve, ways to do some things differently, watching other guys skiing, seeing different parts of their technique and if I can incorporate them.”
It has certainly worked for Ligety in the giant slalom, a discipline in which he won gold at last year’s world championships in Schladming to crown his dominance at World Cup level.
But it also followed a rage against the sport’s governing body, the International Ski Federation (FIS), for changing rules on giant slalom ski dimensions, something he argued made it more dangerous.
“I try to push myself and push the competition and get better and better every single year, ever since I was a kid,” he said.
“With the new ski rules, it’s helped me more than other guys. My technique matches up better.”
US men’s coach Sasha Rearick added that Ligety had a drive that spurred him towards self-improvement.
“Ted is very good at analysing defeats and disappointments quickly, and moving forward,” Rearick said.
Ligety dubbed his giant slalom victory as “awesome”.
“There’s not really any other way to put it,” he beamed. “It’s something I’ve been working for since I was a little kid.
“But being a favourite in alpine skiing is hard because it’s so far from being guaranteed. It’s not super easy to win, even when you’re skiing well.”
Alex Hoedlmoser, another US coach, added: “He trusts his own instruction, he trusts himself. There has been lots of years of hard work, continually working day in and day out to get better.
“Ted has the unique ability to shortly evaluate his performance and put all his energy into what he learned. Everything learned from the Vancouver Games, the whole team has implemented here.”
Steve Missillier, with only one World Cup podium to his name, was a surprise second on Wednesday, ahead of French compatriot Alexis Pinturault who took bronze.
While many expected Pinturault to make the podium, the presence of Missillier, the same age as Ligety but with just one World Cup podium finish to his name, was a surprise.
“It is weird, after the first run I was sure it was possible to win a medal,” said Missillier.
“I did a really good second run but I started to believe it only when Marcel (Hirscher) finished.
“This second place is incredible for me. The race was very close. I needed to go faster in the second run and I managed to do that.”
Pinturault expressed his relief at making the podium after missing out, along with Ligety, in the super-combined, when both were tipped to medal.
“This medal makes me feel very good,” he said. “Conditions were special because we (he and Ligety) missed out in the super combined so we were both under pressure.
“I will have less pressure for the slalom as I have already have a medal, which is always a good feeling.”
