Intro:

Marcel Hirscher of Austria overhauled Felix Neureuther to win Sunday's men's World Cup slalom event in Are, Sweden.

Script:

Are, Sweeden was the setting for the second men's slalom of the new World Cup season.

Expectations were high and much rested on the shoulders of Henrik Kristoffersen who won the opener in Levi, Finland.

Sadly Kristoffersen lasted only ten seconds.

The Norwegian's fortunes were in stark contrast to those of Alexander Khoroshilov.

The 30-year-old Russian has enjoyed a less-than-illustrious World Cup career and had never finished higher than eighth.

But since taking up the slalom, he has been steadily improving, and here he secured his first-ever World Cup podium.

Marcel Hirscher, a silver medallist at the Sochi Winter Olympics in the slalom, powered into the lead with a combined time of one minute 40.37 seconds.

Everything now hinged on the performance of Felix Neureuther.

But the leader at the halfway stage failed to deny Hirscher a 26th World Cup triumph by just one tenth of a second.

This now brings Hirscher level with the great Franz Klammer.

And after his crushing win in Friday's giant slalom, 25-year-old Hirscher powered to the top of the overall FIS rankings.