Favourite Maze wins women's combined

A wafer-thin 0.02 seconds in front of Swiss Lara Gut after the morning downhill, Maze stayed in front of her closest challengers in the second leg for a combined winning total of two minutes, 33.37 seconds, according to provisional results.

Austrian Nicole Hosp, silver medallist in the combined at the Sochi Winter Olympics last year, finished 0.22 seconds back in second place with compatriot Michaela Kirchgasser taking third.

Maze, the last skier to come down the challenging Raptor racecourse in dazzling afternoon sunshine, completed her twisting slalom run in 48.12 seconds before raising her left arm skywards to acknowledge the roars from a packed grandstand.

It was the 31-year-old Slovenian's ninth career medal at the worlds, and her fourth gold.

American speed queen Lindsey Vonn, who was in seventh place after the morning leg but considered herself a long shot for the title after being denied gold in her best two events last week, skied out after missing a gate early on in her slalom run.