VAL D’ISERE, France — Didier Cuche of Switzerland won the men’s super-G at the world championships on Wednesday for his first career gold medal at the age of 34.
Cuche, who had not won a race this season, skied the treacherous Face de Bellevarde in 1 minute, 19.41 seconds. Peter Fill of Italy finished second, 0.99 behind, and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway was third, 1.02 back.
Cuche celebrated after crossing the finish line with his trademark ski flip, kicking his right ski end over end through the air before catching it upright with his right hand.
His previous best result at a major championship came at his first — a silver medal in the super-G at the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan. Until Wednesday, he had added only a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 2007 worlds held at Are, Sweden.
“I was happy to be third in Are,” Cuche said. “Now to do it in super-G, one of my disciplines, is like a dream.”
Cuche, the two-time defending World Cup downhill champion, has been sensitive to suggestions he could not produce on big occasions.
He also had to watch less-heralded teammate Didier Defago win the classic downhills at Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuehel, Austria, last month and threaten his status as Switzerland’s top speed racer. Defago was eighth Wednesday, 1.69 behind Cuche.
“He (Cuche) was a level better than us, maybe two levels,” fourth-place Christof Innerhofer of Italy said.
Defending world super-G champion Patrick Staudacher of Italy trailed by 2.61.
On a bright sunny day, the men enjoyed better visibility for racing than the women had to cope with Tuesday in their super-G, won by Lindsey Vonn of the United States.
The Bellevarde hill is bathed in brighter light than the Solaise slope, which faces opposite and runs down to a shared finish area. The Solaise will stage the women’s speed events in the first week of the championships and has a middle section running through a forest.
Svindal said Cuche skied solidly on the icy track, which dropped 2,130 feet during the 1.1-mile super-G course.
“It’s difficult, but we’re supposed to be the best in the world so we should be able to see it,” the Norwegian said.
Benjamin Raich of Austria, who placed fifth, said the run was difficult to master.
“It’s steep, it’s icy, it’s bumpy,” Raich said. “You have to stay clean. I made a big mistake in the middle which I think cost me a silver medal.”
Bode Miller of the United States trailed by 2.43, losing time at a left-hand turn when he hit the snow with his hip and put a hand down to correct himself.
The defending overall World Cup champion was not impressed with the technical course.
“I don’t like it when the world championship is decided by defensive skiing,” Miller said. “I like to go all out.”
The 31-year-old American said Cuche executed his run well.
“He’s a very tactical skier,” Miller said. “He skied very conservative with a lot of sliding and a lot of control.”
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