You know, the one that makes his gold medal from the 2006 Turin Olympics seem . . . well, almost quaint.
Winning the overall giant slalom World Cup title "is way better than my Olympic gold, for sure," Ligety said in a phone interview Tuesday. "It's a way cooler accomplishment, in the sense that in the Olympics, you only have to be good for one race, and in the GS you have to be good all season long."
Two years after winning gold in the super combined on the slopes of Sestriere, the 23-year-old Ligety became part of the greatest season ever for Americans on the World Cup circuit last weekend, again in Italy.
Not only did he win the giant slalom title by winning the final race of the season at Bormio, but teammates Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller both won overall World Cup titles - the first American sweep since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney did it in 1983. Vonn also won the downhill title and Miller the super combined, giving the United States an unprecedented five of the 12 crystal globes awarded annually to World Cup champions.
"What America was able to do this season is incredible," Vonn told reporters in Italy. "We made history. That's something I could have never imagined and the feeling is just amazing."
Ligety knew he could play a role from the start of the season.
He finished second in the opening race at Soelden in Austria, and wound up lower than fifth only once while racing into the top three four times. He did not win until the penultimate weekend, though, and was only seventh after the first run of his final race - where Austria's Benjamin Raich needed to beat him by two places in the finale to claim the title. But Ligety roared down his second run with the fastest time of the day to take the lead, and neither Raich nor Italian Manfred Moelgg could match him. The historic season was complete, and Ligety was left to allow Vonn to cut his long hair into a mullet as part of a friendly wager with his sponsors.
"It was pretty cool," Ligety said. "From the very beginning of the year, the big goal - once I was leading - was that I wanted to stay the leader or at least stay close, so I could have a chance at the end.
"It definitely takes me to another level," he added. "Hopefully, I can just convert it into other events, and one of these years, go for the overall title."
Ligety plans to return to Park City today but then travel to Colorado for surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. Then it's off to Europe to test skis for his sponsor, Rossignol, and back home for a short break before beginning dry-land training in preparation for next season.
Next season is going to be different, though.
The U.S. Ski Team's longtime head men's coach, Phil McNichol, announced his resignation in the wake of the celebration on Monday, in order to spend more time with his family. Almost all of Miller's personal coaching staff also resigned, and U.S. women's coach Patrick Riml left open the possibility that he, too, would leave.
"It's understandable that those guys have to move on," Ligety said. But "it's not too bad, and ski racing is such an individual sport that coaching just has more of a logistical standpoint to it than anything else. But it's definitely a loss, and it's always tough to lose a coach you've been around your entire career."
mcl@sltrib.com
