Historic 13th World Cup win for Hirscher

The 29-year-old Austrian entered a select club containing only two others members as he matched the number of wins achieved by skiing legends Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden in 1978-79 and Austrian Hermann Maier in 2000-2001.

The victory was Hirscher’s sixth in a World Cup giant slalom this season, he also won seven slaloms.

In 24 hours he could set a new outright record if he wins his favoured slalom, which brings the curtain down on the 2017/2018 season on Sunday.

Last month’s Olympic gold medallist in the giant slalom and combined was half a second clear of his rivals after the first leg despite a costly mistake, and he did not buckle on the second run as he chased his place in skiing history.

The Austrian was followed home in his 58th career World Cup success by Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, quickest in the second leg, at .23sec with France’s Victor Muffat-Jeandet at .26s.

Hirscher arrived at the Swedish ski resort of Are for the World Cup finals this week already assured of his fifth giant slalom crystal globe. He has also secured a record seventh overall World Cup title in a memorable season in which he secured his first Olympic title at his third Games.