CORTINA D'AMPEZZO – CORTINA D'The Latest from the skiing world championships (all times local):
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4:20 p.m.
Combined champion Marco Schwarz says he was inspired by the two gold medals Austrian teammate Vincent Kriechmayr has won at this year's skiing world championships.
Schwarz says “it's really cool that Vince showed how to do it.”
Kriechmayr triumphed in both the downhill and super-G.
Schwarz says “it's wonderful that it also worked out for me today.”
It's the first time the Austrian team has won the first three men's events at the worlds.
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3:50 p.m.
Marco Schwarz won the men’s combined to give Austria its third gold medal at the skiing world championships.
Schwarz edged defending champion Alexis Pinturault by four-hundredths of a second. Loic Meillard of Switzerland was 1.12 behind in third.
Schwarz was a bronze medalist two years ago. He was four-tenths off the lead in fifth after the super-G portion before posting the fastest time in the slalom leg.
Canadian skier James Crawford surprisingly led after the super-G part and finished a career best fourth.
Lower-ranked skiers were still coming down the course.
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3:20 p.m.
Mikaela Shiffrin says winning her sixth world championship title is “pretty amazing.”
Shiffrin became the first American winner of the women's combined since Tamara McKinney won it in 1989 at the worlds in Vail.
Shiffrin had not competed in the discipline at the worlds before.
She says “I’m happy that we decided to put this in the plan this world champs.”
Shiffrin won the slalom portion after posting the third-fastest time in the opening super-G leg.
She says “for sure it was a tough slalom so I’m like really happy I got down with a really good run.”
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2:40 p.m.
Mikaela Shiffrin won the women’s combined to set an American record with her sixth world championship title.
Shiffrin has four golds in slalom and one in super-G from previous worlds.
Shiffrin ranked third after the super-G portion but was fastest in the slalom leg to beat Petra Vlhova of Slovakia by 0.86 seconds. Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland finished 0.89 behind for bronze.
Two of Shiffrin's main competitors failed to complete their slalom runs.
First-run leader Federica Brignone straddled the third gate as Italy keeps waiting for its first medal at this year's worlds after five events. Defending champion Wendy Holdener of Switzerland also skied out early in her run.
Lower-ranked skiers were still coming down the course. ___
1:10 p.m.
Canadian skier James Crawford says he is “a little bit” surprised about posting the fastest time in the opening super-G portion of the men's combined at the world championships.
Crawford says “I wasn’t expecting to win but to be close for sure.”
The Canadian skier is “having a pretty good year in super-G” and reached a career-best sixth in Kitzbühel three weeks ago.
Crawford adds that Monday's event “was finally a race where I got it all the way down to the bottom without major mistakes.”
He will defend a lead of 0.08 seconds over defending champion Alexis Pinturault in the slalom portion.
Crawford says “I am no slack” in the technical discipline and “I definitely can ski slalom but I don’t know how well I will be able to do against those top competitors.”
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12:45 p.m.
Canadian skier James Crawford holds a surprise lead after the super-G portion of the men’s combined at the world championships.
Crawford leads Alexis Pinturault by eight-hundredths of a second going into the decisive slalom leg at 3:20 p.m.
Crawford's career-best result is sixth in a World Cup super-G in Kitzbühel last month.
Pinturault is the defending world champion and 2018 Olympic silver medalist.
The French skier is followed by a trio of Austrians who include Vincent Kriechmayr.
Kriechmayr has won gold in both previous men's races at these worlds.
The men used the exact same course as the women in the first leg of their combined event.
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11:00 a.m.
Federica Brignone leads Mikaela Shiffrin by six-hundredths of a second after the opening leg of the women's combined at the world championships.
Brignone beat Elena Curtoni by 0.01 as Italy went 1-2 in the super-G portion with Shiffrin looming in third.
Brignone will open the decisive slalom portion at 2:10 p.m.
Home nation Italy has not won a medal in the first four events of the worlds.
Overall World Cup leader Petra Vlhova of Slovakia has to make up four-tenths on Brignone in the slalom.
Two-time combined world champion Wendy Holdener of Switzerland finished 0.97 behind.
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