Story highlights
Hirscher wins first giant slalom world title
Jet knocks TV camera to floor
Nearly hit by a drone two years ago, Friday’s World Championships in St. Moritz showed Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher’s calm under pressure in dealing with the distraction of another falling camera.
The second run of the giant slalom was delayed by more than 30 minutes after a Swiss air force jet clipped the cable carrying the moveable television camera over the finish area.
The camera crashed to the floor but no-one was injured, while the jet landed safely at a nearby airbase. On a nearby chairlift, Hirscher remain focused on his skiing and clinched a first giant slalom world title and fifth in all.
The 27-year-old led after the first run and held off Austria teammate Roland Leitinger by 0.25 seconds with Norway’s Leif Kristian Haugen taking a surprise bronze medal.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling after one of the toughest races we’ve had this season so far,” Hirscher said in a podium interview. “I am very thankful for this.
“The GS was the gold medal that I had yet to win so today’s race had great meaning for me.”
READ: Hirscher, skiing’s reluctant superstar
READ: Skier recalls ‘scary’ drone incident
“Heavy air traffic”
Two years ago a remote-control drone carrying a TV camera slammed into the snow inches behind the racing Hirscher in Madonna di Campiglio in Italy.
“This is horrible,” Hirscher said after the event. “This can never happen again. This can be a serious injury.”
He did, however, see a funnier side to the incident later that day in 2015, posting that there was “heavy air traffic in Italy” on his Instagram account.
Hirscher won giant slalom silver at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships behind Ted Ligety, but the American was missing from St. Moritz after undergoing season-ending back surgery last month.
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Hirscher, the Olympic slalom silver medalist, has won a record five straight World Cup overall titles, as well as four slalom Crystal Globes and four giant slalom crowns.
