SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) – Marcel Hirscher, the world’s top skier last season, won the men’s slalom to give host nation Austria their first individual gold at the Alpine skiing world championships in the final of the ten events on Sunday.

The 23-year-old sent the 30,000 crowd into raptures as he beat Germany’s Felix Neureuther, the son of former Olympic champion Rosi Mittermaier and 1970s slalomist Christian Neureuther, by 0.42 seconds over the two runs.

SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) – Like Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s Michael Elliot Williams is surrounded by photographers and autograph hunters when he finishes a race and even performs the famous arrow celebration.

However, Jamaica’s one competitor at the world skiing championships, can only dream of exerting the dominance in his event that compatriot Bolt does on the track.

SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) – Ted Ligety might not have received a message from President Barack Obama after completing his hat-trick of skiing world titles on Friday, but it was still an astonishing achievement.

An unassuming figure in a sport which struggles for airtime outside a few Alpine nations, the American was just happy to get a few texts from his closest friends.

SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) – Ted Ligety became the first male skier for 45 years and only the fifth overall to win three gold medals at the world skiing championships when he defended his title in the giant slalom on Friday.

Having already won the super-G and super combined events, a hat-trick was always on the cards for the American in his favorite event, although he had to survive a couple of slips on the second run before winning by 0.81 seconds.

SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) – Ted Ligety became the first male skier for 45 years and only the fifth overall to win three gold medals at the world skiing championships when he defended his title in the giant slalom on Friday.

Having already won the super-G and super combined events, a hat-trick was always on the cards for the American in his favourite event, although he had to survive a couple of slips on the second run before winning by 0.81 seconds.

SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) – Tessa Worley gave France their second gold medal of Alpine skiing world championships when she upset favourite and titleholder Tina Maze to win the giant slalom on Thursday.

Worley finished more than one second ahead of Maze, who has dominated this year’s skiing season and has already won gold in the super-G and silver in the super combined in Schladming.

BERNE (Reuters) – The Champions League provides a crackerjack of a fixture on Wednesday when Real Madrid hot-shot Cristiano Ronaldo faces Manchester United, the club where he made his name, for the first time.

United will hope the Portugal winger does not emulate Brazil forward Ronaldo who scored a memorable hat-trick for the Spaniards when the teams last met 10 years ago.

BERNE, Feb 11 (Reuters) – The Champions League provides a crackerjack of a fixture on Wednesday when Real Madrid hot-shot Cristiano Ronaldo faces Manchester United, the club where he made his name, for the first time.

United will hope the Portugal winger does not emulate Brazil forward Ronaldo who scored a memorable hat-trick for the Spaniards when the teams last met 10 years ago.

BERNE, Feb 11 (Reuters) – The Champions League provides a crackerjack of a fixture on Wednesday when Real Madrid hot-shot Cristiano Ronaldo faces Manchester United, the club where he made his name, for the first time.

United will hope the Portugal winger does not emulate Brazil forward Ronaldo who scored a memorable hat-trick for the Spaniards when the teams last met 10 years ago.

LONDON (Reuters) – With 11 lucrative sponsorship contracts to his name, a legion of adoring fans and the beach on his doorstep, it is not hard to blame Neymar for his decision to stay at home in Brazil.

His performance against England, however, again suggested that his career is suffering from his lack of experience of playing against European defences.