Ligety on course for giant slalom title

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) Ted Ligety of the United States is on course to secure his second giant slalom World Cup season title after finishing third in the first run Friday.

With his main rivals out of contention, Ligety looks poised to repeat as champion and grab the title he first won in 2008.

Ligety leads the standings and his closest rivals, Massimiliano Blardone of Italy and Marcel Hirscher of Austria, flopped in the first run.

Blardone went off course and finished 8.79 seconds behind leader Carlo Janka of Switzerland. Hirscher was disqualified for starting too early.

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