Svindal wins super-G World Cup title

SCHLADMING, Austria, March 15 (UPI) -- Italian skier Christof Innerhofer claimed the final super-giant slalom race of the season in Austria and Marcel Hirscher tightened the overall standings.

Innerhofer picked up his first super-G first-place finish Thursday with a time of 1 minute, 21.24 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of France's Alexis Pinturault.

Neither skier is near the top of the season discipline standings. Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal was able to seal the super-G title despite finishing 16th and getting no points Thursday. Svindal has 413 points on the season, while Swiss skier Didier Cuche is second with 400 and Beat Feuz, also from Switzerland, is third with 368.

It is the third time Svindal won the season super-G championship. He also won in 2006 and 2009.

Cuche, who is retiring after this week's races, was ninth in Thursday's race and Feuz crashed during his run.

Feuz continues to lead the overall standings with 1,330 points but Hirscher, from Austria, pulled within striking distance after a third-place finish gave him 1,255 points.