BEAVER CREEK (UNITED STATES) - Marcel Hirscher says having two golds safely tucked away in his pocket takes some of the pressure off as he goes for a third in Friday's giant slalom at the Beaver Creek Worlds.
Austria's Marcel Hirscher races during the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships nation team event February 10, 2015 in Vail, Colorado
The Austrian star will tackle his favourite discipline on the Birds of Prey course but it won't be easy as he will be challenged by American Ted Ligety who always skis well in the Colorado Rockies.
"I feel very well here. With my two world titles, there is less pressure on me," said Hirscher, who won gold medals in super-combined and the Nations Team event.
But the overall World Cup points leader also understands that his giant slalom performance will personify his 2015 worlds.
"Every medal boosts your confidence," said the Sochi Olympic silver medallist. "But there are a lot of other guys who want the same thing as me."
Hirscher has dominated the speciality in the World Cup this season, winning four times and finishing third in Beaver Creek in December.
But the winner of the World Cup overall title the last three seasons, is not the master of the Birds of Prey course.
That distinction belongs to Ligety, who has won the last five out of six World Cup giant slaloms on this icy slope.
The 2014 Olympic champion, who has a bronze medal in the super-combined, isn't resting on his laurels.
"I have skied rather moderately this year and I am far from my best," Ligety said.
"But I know I am still able to ski the way I did when I won the Olympic gold in Sochi last year."
Ligety's season didn't start well as he broke his left hand in training in November and had to undergo surgery.
A month later he won the giant slalom in Beaver Creek. To get ready for the worlds he went home to Park City, Utah to train.
"This is the first time since I was 18 that I was at home in February. It is good for my skiing," he says.
German Fritz Dopfer, who is fourth in World Cup points in giant slalom, is questionable for Friday's race after injuring his back in a training fall last week.