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Hirscher wins giant slalom world title after plane incident

By The Associated Press

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — After an incident involving a military airplane delayed the race, Marcel Hirscher ended his long wait to win a world championship title in giant slalom on Friday.

The race’s decisive second run was pushed back 30 minutes after a monoplane in a Swiss Air Force formation display team’s training exercise struck the cable of a moving overhead television camera.

The camera, for filming racers through the finish line, fell into the area where skiers stop. No one was hurt.

“Every day something unexpected can happen but I am sure a lot of people had a lot of luck today,” Hirscher said.

After leading the first run, Hirscher raced through falling snow to hold off unheralded Austrian teammate Roland Leitinger by 0.25 seconds. Leif Kristian Haugen of Norway was another surprise medalist in third, trailing Hirscher by 0.71.

Neither the 25-year-old Leitinger nor the 29-year-old Haugen has ever finished on the podium of a World Cup race.

Hirscher took silver in giant slalom at the past two world championships — part of Ted Ligety’s streak of winning every gold medal in the discipline since the 2010 Olympics. The American ended his season early because of injury.

“I have waited six years for this victory,” said Hirscher, who turns 28 next month. “I was really, really searching for this.”

It seemed fitting that Hirscher should win a race where low-flying aircraft was a distraction. Last season, the Austrian was almost struck during a World Cup slalom race by a camera-carrying drone which fell from the air and landed on the snow just behind him.

Hirscher was furious afterward, and later finished second in that December 2015 race in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

The International Ski Federation quickly reacted by banning the use of drones at races it organizes.

On Friday, Swiss state broadcasters which owned the camera filmed it falling into the empty finish area from a scaffold behind the main grandstand.

“The pilot hit the cable causing it to break and the camera fell into the finish area,” FIS spokeswoman Jenny Wiedeke said in a statement. “The police are going to investigate this further.”

The Swiss military team, made up of Pilatus PC-7 turbo trainers, was taking part in a second day of exercises over the course. The plane which struck the TV equipment later landed safely at nearby Samedan, police said at a news conference.

Fly-overs were canceled for Saturday and Sunday when mid-race displays were scheduled to entertain big crowds expected for the women’s and men’s slalom races.

Damage to the camera was valued at 250,000 euros ($266,000), race organizers said.

The giant slalom race resumed at 1:30 p.m. (1230 GMT), instead of the scheduled 1 p.m. (1200 GMT).

Chair lifts were stopped as a precaution after the incident and some racers were delayed inspecting the course. They were allowed a further 30 minutes to examine the second run gate-setting.

Hirscher’s win was predicted by many, but Alexis Pinturault’s failure to get a medal was a surprise.

Pinturault, who won three World Cup giant slaloms this season, was third in the morning but then dropped to finish seventh. The Frenchman was in tears while conducting some post-race interviews.

“I can totally understand it,” said Hirscher, who had a series of near-misses at major championships before winning his first medal in 2013, behind Ligety. “I’m very sorry for him.”

Hirscher, who also took silver in combined in St. Moritz, will be favored to win a third medal in Sunday’s slalom.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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