Ilka Stuhec is downhill world champion; Lindsey Vonn 3rd

There is a new downhill queen of the ski slopes. For now.

Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia is the new world champion in downhill while Lindsey Vonn took bronze trying to regain her title in another season disrupted by injuries as she targets the 2018 Olympics.

Stuhec confirmed her status as pre-race favorite, finishing 0.40 seconds clear of surprise silver medalist Stephanie Venier of Austria, who had a career-best downhill finish of seventh before Sunday.

Vonn was 0.45 behind Stuhec, who led at all but one time check and clocked the fastest speed of 125.6 kph (78 mph).

“I was not as confident as her and she outperformed me,” Vonn said of the winner. “She definitely deserved the gold medal today. The bronze feels to me like gold.”

The victory was a shared triumph for the Stuhec family. Her mother, Darja, is the technician preparing her race skis.

“I can’t describe it,” said Stuhec, whose mother began working with her after several knee injuries cost her funding from Slovenia’s ski federation. “It’s amazing where we have come since then.”

Stuhec kept the world title in Slovenia as she succeeded the 2015 downhill gold medalist, Tina Maze, who is now retired.

“I’m honored to keep the medal at home,” Stuhec said. “We are not a huge nation but we have a lot of good athletes.”

In a breakout season, the 26-yearold Stuhec started by winning three straight World Cup downhills while Vonn recovered from breaking her right upper arm in November. That interrupted Vonn’s comeback from a knee injury one year ago.

Though Vonn quickly — and typically — returned to form in January by winning a downhill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, she acknowledged arriving at St. Moritz below her best.

“I felt unprepared coming in but I did the best I could,” said the 32year-old American, who set a world championships record.

She became the oldest female medalist, taking the mark from Anita Wachter of Austria, who won giant slalom bronze days before her 32nd birthday in 1999.

“I’m old and I’m proud!” joked Vonn, who was four career medals in worlds downhills. She won her only gold in 2009 at Val d’Isere, France.

Vonn might have missed the podium, finishing just 0.07 ahead of fourth-placed Sofia Goggia of Italy who was fastest at the final time check before losing her racing line.

Indeed, Goggia could have taken the title but relied on an agile recovery just to complete the course when her skis almost crossed. She shouted in frustration upon crossing the finish line.

“I saw she was crying and I gave her a hug,” Vonn said of the 24year-old Italian. “She has many more chances.”

Stuhec fulfilled the potential she showed as junior world champion in downhill in 2008.

She never had a top-3 finish in more than 100 World Cup races entering this season. That changed with back-to-back downhill wins at Lake Louise, Canada — a course widely known as Lake Lindsey in tribute to Vonn’s domination there over the past decade.

The race unfolded under bright sunshine and some patches of light cloud, one day after the men’s marquee downhill was postponed by fog. That rescheduled race started one hour after the women finished.

Host Swiss get gold as Beat Feuz wins downhill world title

Host nation Switzerland got the world championships gold medal it most wanted when Beat Feuz won the downhill Sunday.

Roger Federer had a front-row seat in the stands to see Feuz finish 0.12 seconds faster than Erik Guay of Canada, denying the winner of Wednesday’s super-G a speed title double.

Max Franz of Austria was third, 0.37 behind Feuz, who took downhill bronze two years ago.

Though Feuz’s top speed of 119 kph (74 mph) was slower than many rivals, he was best at keeping speed through the twisting turns midway down a shortened course.

“I felt the pressure,” said Feuz, favored to repeat his win in the World Cup finals downhill last March, through a translator. “I knew the expectations of the Swiss people. It was important not to go crazy with all that.”

A lower start was used because the steep “Free Fall” section — the signature feature of the Corviglia course — was shrouded in clouds, and a lower start was used. Sunshine lit the slope one day after more fog forced the race to be postponed on Feuz’s 30th birthday.