Cuche won by a comfortable 0.99 seconds

Swizerland's Didier Cuche clinched his first World Ski Championships gold medal with victory in the super-G.

Cuche, 34, finished in a time of one minute 19.41, 0.99 seconds ahead of Italy's Peter Fill, with Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal third, 1.02 seconds back.

It was a gruelling course in Val d'Isere in France which saw 20 starters fail to complete the race.

Britons Dougie Crawford and Ed Drake, in their first World Championships, finished 28th and 29th respectively.

Cuche had not been in the best form this season, recording only one podium finish so far on the World Cup circuit.

But the veteran skier tore down the treacherous Face de Bellevarde course to perfection to win gold.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Cuche's win

Cuche had struggled to perform on the World Championships' stage and had previously won only a bronze in a giant slalom in Are, Sweden, in 2007.

He celebrated in his trademark ski flip style, kicking his right ski end over end through the air before catching it upright with his right hand.

He said: "Maybe I am like the wine getting better with the years.

"I was happy to be third in Are. Now to do it in super-G, one of my disciplines, is like a dream. I really had fun on that hill today."

It was the first time the two young Britons had raced at the top level.

"The boys did well considering it was their first time at the World Championships and only their second run on a course at this level of competition," said British alpine ski coaching team member Reini Fernsebner.

"The conditions were not easy; the hill was really tough and extremely icy at the bottom.

"There were bits and pieces of their race which could have been better, but all in all they did well.

"It is good for their confidence, they now have raced on the hill and this will help them for the downhill and super combined races."

American Bode Miller finished a disappointing 12th, 2.43 seconds adrift, and bemoaned the state of the course.

He said: "I don't want to take it away from Cuche. He's the super-G world champion by a second.

"But I didn't have the impression he was on the attack. He skied conservatively. It was a steep icy pitch.

"There was not a whole lot of attack out there. There was a lot of slide on the turns to slow down.

"It's tough to see that at a World Championships and be such a decisive factor. It should be everyone skiing at the maximum of their ability and see who wins."

The in-form Ivica Kostelic pulled of the race citing a bad back while American Ted Ligety lost a ski and sliding for 400m on his back before crashing into the safety netting.

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