Snow angel, not devil, wins
SESTRIERE, Italy – Not that long ago, Ted Ligety was everything Bode Miller is not: unknown, unsponsored, unaccomplished – and uncontroversial.
Now, thanks both to his clean, aggressive skiing and errors by Miller and other favorites, Ligety is an Olympic champion.
Miller still is not.
“It’s great to be where I am,” the 21-year-old Ligety said, his voice hoarse, “but it’s unexpected, that’s for sure.”
Never before a competitor at a Winter Games, never before a winner of any major race, Ligety produced two spectacular slalom runs to pull out the combined event Tuesday night, only the fourth time in Olympic history an American man has collected a gold medal in Alpine skiing.
A few hours before, it appeared Miller might win that medal. Fastest in the downhill portion of the three-leg event, he was disqualified after straddling a gate in the first slalom.
Trailing far behind after the afternoon downhill, Ligety took a star turn under the floodlights during the evening slalom. He was as consistent as a metronome, rocking smoothly back and forth, back and forth, smacking away gates with his orange gloves and black shin guards.
“You’ve just got to get in the starting gate,” Ligety said, “and throw down whatever you’ve got.”
When he finished his final run, the day’s fastest at 43.84 seconds, the youngster nicknamed “Ligety Split” raised his hands and took a well-deserved bow.
Still, Ligety had to wait to celebrate.
First, Ivica Kostelic of Croatia finished a half-second shy. Then, World Cup slalom champion Benjamin Raich of Austria went off-course about 30 seconds into his run.
That was it. U.S. skiers Steven Nyman and Scott Macartney ran over to tackle Ligety, and the trio of teammates rolled in the snow. Ligety took a victory ride on the others’ shoulders, waving a U.S. flag.
“It’s a great day, especially with Bode skiing out,” Macartney said. “Ted stepped up.”
Ligety, from Park City, Utah, had never finished better than 10th in a top-level combined race. On Tuesday, he was best with a total time of 3 minutes, 9.35 seconds. Kostelic won the silver, 0.53 behind, and got a hug from sister Janica, a champion Olympic skier. Rainer Schoenfelder of Austria was third, 1.32 back.
Raich, meanwhile, pushed his goggles atop his head and slowly made his way down the hill.
“Bad luck,” he said. “Of course I’m sad, but life must go on.”
“I’m not surprised he’s on the podium,” U.S. men’s coach Phil McNichol said. “I’m a bit surprised he won gold.”
Despite his lack of big-time experience, Ligety is cool and confident, by all accounts. He was wisecracking with a coach right before locking into the starting gate. Maybe that’s why he was able to ski such a risky line on an icy hill.