Ted Ligety American Ski Racer

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) - Ted Ligety considers the next two weekends of classic World Cup races key to his challenge for the overall title.

With seven point-scoring events in 10 days at the signature venues of Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuehel, Austria, third-place Ligety aims to move up on leader Marcel Hirscher and Aksel Lund Svindal.

Ligety tells The Associated Press "this is a very important month as far as whether I have a chance at the overall."

Still, the schedule counts against the giant slalom standings leader whose best event is off the World Cup calendar until Feb. 24.

Slalom leader Hirscher and downhill leader Svindal can race those events on both historic Wengen and Kitzbuehel hills.

Ligety says he needs "more meaningful" results in other events, starting with Friday's super-combined.

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