Ilka Stuhec takes Downhill title, Lindsey Vonn third in St Moritz

The Slovenian put together a superb run to take the title – her first medal from a world championships – by a comfortable 0.4secs.

Vonn has had only five World Cup events back since the injury that left her without full use of her right arm but still managed a 77th World Cup win at Garmisch last month.

Italy's Sofia Goggia missed a medal, possibly gold, after several errors on the lower section cost her time.

Goggia was flying but crossed here skis and was lucky to avoid a high-speed crash. She finished fourth.

Stuhec has certainly not taken the easy route to her first World Championship medal, losing her spot on the Slovenian national team after being sidelined with a knee injury that needed surgery.

She took the decision to set up on her own, travelling with coach Gregor Kostomaj, while her mother, Darja Crnko, plays the critical role of ski technician.

Late at night and early in the morning, Crnko tends to her daughter’s skis with a mercurial mother’s touch and is considered by many to be the best in the business, which is remarkable when you consider that the secretive world of the ski technician is macho and male-dominated.

But, in a sport where fractions really matter, her painstaking waxing, brushing and scraping has paid dividends for the three-time world junior champion.

Prior to this breakout season Stuhec, 26, had failed to podium in 109 World Cup starts but she’s racked up three World Cup downhill wins this season and had gone quickest on both training runs in Switzerland.

And Stuhec’s victory also keeps the medal in the hands of Slovenia, following the now-retired Tina Maze’s victory in Beaver Creek two years ago.

“This means so such, to be a world champion means everything to me,” said Stuhec. “There was lots of pressure, it wasn’t perfect but it was fast enough.”

“It feels really good, I would have loved to have gone a little bit faster but I fought really hard,” said Vonn, who becomes the oldest skier to win a world medal at 32.

“It’s been a difficult season coming back from my injuries and my hand is still giving me trouble. I’m very thankful and now I’ve a world medal in downhill in every colour and that’s cool.

“It’s not my best performance but all things considered it was a great result.”

1. Ilka Stuhec (Slovenia) 1:32.85

2. Stephanie Venier (Austria) 1:33.25

3. Lindsey Vonn (U.S.) 1:33.30

4. Sofia Goggia (Italy) 1:33.37

5. Laurenne Ross (U.S.) 1:33.57

6. Christine Scheyer (Austria) 1:33.79

7. Fabienne Suter (Switzerland) 1:33.88

8. Michelle Gisin (Switzerland) 1:33.89

9. Ramona Siebenhofer (Austria) 1:33.97

10. Tina Weirather (Liechtenstein) 1:34.03

11. Viktoria Rebensburg (Germany) 1:34.10

12. Jacqueline Wiles (U.S.) 1:34.36

12. Jasmine Flury (Switzerland) 1:34.36

14. Elena Fanchini (Italy) 1:34.39

15. Breezy Johnson (U.S.) 1:34.49

16. Nicole Schmidhofer (Austria) 1:34.61

17. Kajsa Kling (Sweden) 1:34.64

18. Corinne Suter (Switzerland) 1:34.65

19. Verena Stuffer (Italy) 1:34.81

20. Ragnhild Mowinckel (Norway) 1:34.91

21. Ester Ledecka (Czech Republic) 1:34.96

22. Johanna Schnarf (Italy) 1:35.05

23. Marusa Ferk (Slovenia) 1:35.23

24. Kristin Anna Lysdahl (Norway) 1:35.26

25. Maria Therese Tviberg (Norway) 1:35.39

25. Tiffany Gauthier (France) 1:35.39

27. Aleksandra Prokopyeva (Russia) 1:35.46

28. Alexandra Coletti (Monaco) 1:35.53

29. Kira Weidle (Germany) 1:35.72

29. Kristina Riis-Johannessen (Norway) 1:35.72