Hirscher earns Austrian-record 63rd World Cup ski win

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria — Marcel Hirscher returned to a hill where he raced as a kid to become the most successful Austrian skier of all time.

The seven-time overall champion won a World Cup slalom in his native province of Salzburg on Thursday for his 63rd career victory, overtaking Annemarie Moser-Proell, who had 62 wins when she retired in 1980.

"As a kid I have competed in regional races on this hill. The course was just a bit more to the right," Hirscher said. "These are great memories. The circle closes here." Only Ingemar Stenmark (86) and Lindsey Vonn (82) have won more World Cup races.

Moser-Proell was full of praise for the new Austrian record-holder.

"We have never seen such a perfect ski racer before," she told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "When I see Marcel now, I am amazed that I achieved something similar back then. But you can't really compare the two eras. Everything is much more professional nowadays." Defying difficult course conditions, Hirscher held on to a big first-run lead to finish 0.38 seconds ahead of Loic Meillard of Switzerland, who was only 12th after the opening run and claimed his second podium in two days.

Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway was 0.47 behind in third.

"I would have been happy with a top-10 result and I can't believe I am on the podium for two days in a row," said Meillard, also runner-up in Wednesday's GS. "To be on a podium with Marcel and Henrik is truly something special." It was the fourth straight win in the discipline for Hirscher, who has won nine of the last 10 World Cup slaloms.

AP