ST MORITZ, Switzerland (Reuters) - Melanie Turgeon stunned the favorites and swooped to gold in the Alpine skiing world championships downhill Sunday to become the first Canadian to take the blue riband title in 10 years. Turgeon stormed down the sun-drenched 2.7 km long Engiadina course in a time of one minute 34.30 seconds to emulate Kate Pace who won at the 1993 world championships in Morioka, Japan.

Melanie Turgeon

Austria's double world champion Alexandra Meissnitzer almost stole the show, crossing the finish line 0.11 seconds behind Turgeon after posting the fastest intermediate times in a thrilling race.

Corinne Rey Bellet gave the Swiss fans cause to cheer, handing the host nation their second medal of the championships by sharing silver with Meissnitzer.

Everyone was aware the women's downhill had a host of racers able to snatch gold, but only the brave would have betted on Turgeon.

Melanie Turgeon

The 26-year-old had never won a downhill race before and her expertise lay more in the slightly slower discipline of super-G.

"I feel great. It's been a long time coming," a jubilant Turgeon said after winning her maiden major title.

"It's my first win in downhill -- I've been very close on the podium in the super-G and downhill this season and I've been talking myself into winning this race all week," she said.

Turgeon, whose best placing in a downhill on the World Cup this season was a sixth place at Lenzerheide in December, proved she was in top form by coming sixth in the super-G.

CLIFFHANGER RACE

The race was pure adrenaline. The top five racers were separated by just 0.35 seconds.

Rey Bellet

Starting fourth, Austria's Brigitte Obermoser set the pace that held for 17 racers until Rey Bellet stormed across the finish line to deafening cheers from the home fans as they scented their first gold medal of the two-week championships.

But then Turgeon gatecrashed the party.

"It's a great relief to win a medal in my own country," a nevertheless happy Rey Bellet said.

The pre-race favorites were all eclipsed. Racers including Olympic champion Carole Montillet of France said the difficult thing about the Engiadina course was that it was too easy, meaning any time lost is hard to make up.

Licia Recchia`s bad fall

"I have no regrets, I just went for it and maybe I was too aggressive," Montillet, who ended 0.57 seconds off the pace in seventh, said.

Defending world champion Michaela Dorfmeister, who took gold in the super-G and was a clear medal contender together with team mate Renate Goetschl, had to settle for 12th position while Goetschl came fifth.

Meissnitzer was surprised to win a medal in what she calls her weakest discipline. The Austrian's best placing was a fifth place in the first World Cup downhill race of this season in Lake Louise, Canada.

"I least expected to get a medal in the downhill, especially as it was a pretty error-riddled run. I really attacked a lot," said Meissnitzer, who twice came a maddening fourth at the Salt Lake Games.

Rey Bellet, Melanie Turgeon and Alexandra Meissnitzer

The women are back in action Monday in the all round event of combined, that determines the winner from adding the timings from one downhill race to two slalom legs.

By Julia Ferguson, Reuters, 09.02.2003