Ligety’s success has rivals casting aspersions

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy – Ted Ligety is ruling the giant slalom like few others, and the praise extraordinary: “phenomenon,” “superhero” and “unreal.”

His performance also has left some rivals questioning whether his equipment conforms to new rules introduced by the International Ski Federation for this season that limits the hourglass shape of skis. But the federation says no equipment rules have been breached.

“It would be nice if people would be more observant of all the preparation Ted has done, and all the training he did with the new equipment,” U.S. technical coach Mike Day said. “That’s why he’s dominating.”

It’s been mainly Italian skiers raising questions, after they couldn’t keep up with Ligety at home in last Sunday’s race in Alta Badia, when Ligety won the first run by a massive 2.40 seconds.

Ligety won by 2.04 seconds, with defending overall World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher of Austria the runner-up.

Ligety also won the first two GS races this season by large margins, finishing 2.75 ahead in Soelden, Austria, and 1.76 in front in Beaver Creek, Colo. Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark set the record for margin of victory at 4.06 in 1978-79.

Still, Ligety became the first man since Stenmark in 1978-79 to win two giant slaloms in the same season with an advantage of more than two seconds.

In an article in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Monday – skiers Manfred Moelgg and Davide Simoncelli wondered about the American’s skis.

“It seems to me the tails are wider,” Moelgg said.

Federation equipment controller Mike Kertesz measures racers’ skis, boots and suits with random checks in the finish area at all men’s events.

“I know it was an amazing run,” Kertesz told The Associated Press on Monday. “From everyone’s perspective, it was like, ‘What did that guy do?’ But I measured his skis in both runs and I measured his race suit for permeability since he was in the top three, and he was within the FIS equipment rules.”