Hirscher shrugs aside fines to win slalom

Austrian slalom specialist Marcel Hirscher won the men's slalom here on Tuesday for his sixth World Cup victory in all disciplines this season. Hirscher - who earlier in the day was fined by the sport's governing body The FIS for straddling gates in previous races but continuing to race despite it being against the rules - was 22hundreths of a second faster over the two legs than Italian Stefano Gross. Another Austrian Mario Matt - second in Sunday's slalom in Kitzbuehel - was third, 29hundreths slower than the winner. Hirscher was left emotionally drained but ecstatic after holding his nerve on the second leg to win in front of 40,000 roaring Austrian fans. "It was the biggest challenge of my sporting career," gasped the 22-year-old. "This victory, is the one that has provoked the strongest emotions in me and certainly the best ever." Defending World Cup champion Ivica Kostelic was booed over the two legs after the Austrian crowd did not take kindly to his criticism on Sunday of the 23-year-old Hirscher. Kostelic had rounded on Hirscher for straddling the gates during his win in Zagreb earlier this year - one of the races he was not fined for on Tuesday. However, Kostelic shrugged off the frosty reception and finished fourth over the two legs to retain his lead in both the overall and slalom standings ahead of the young Austrian.