KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Ted Ligety is closing in on his fourth World Cup giant slalom title after posting the fastest time Saturday in the opening run of the second-to-last race this season.
The American will win the discipline title if he finishes ahead of Marcel Hirscher of Austria, who is 0.60 behind Ligety in fourth place.
Ligety went down the the Podkoren course in 1 minute, 22.16 seconds to lead Alexis Pinturault of France by 0.20 and Felix Neureuther of Germany by 0.22.
Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, who is competing with Hirscher for the overall title, was 0.99 back in fifth.
Ligety won the World Cup giant slalom in 2008 and 2010-11. He also successfully defended his GS title at the world championships last month.
