VAL D'ISERE, France - American Lindsey Vonn won the women's downhill Monday for her second gold at the world championships, holding off a stiff challenge from Swiss teenager Lara Gut.

Vonn covered the Rhone-Alpes course in one minute 30.31 seconds. Gut finished second, 0.52 behind, to match her silver medal in super-combined, and Nadia Fanchini of Italy was third, 0.57 back.

Top Canadian was Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., in 11th.

"Lindsey has a great feel on her skis and great technique," Brydon said. "When she puts it all together she's unbeatable. Lara is a great skier but ignorance is bliss.

"She really doesn't know what she does to go fast. She just goes fast. What Lindsey does week after week is even more impressive. She really has a strong mind on her head."

Vonn opened the championships by winning the super-G on Tuesday for her first career gold medal at a world championships or Olympics.

"I was so nervous today. Lara Gut looked like she had an amazing run and I didn't know if I was going to do it," Vonn said. "My husband was with me at the start and was really helping me. I really wanted it so bad.

"I fought the whole way down and nailed the bottom section. It was really important to carry the speed and that is the reason why I was able to win."

Vonn has won four of her last five races, having also posted two World Cup victories in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, the weekend before the worlds. She was disqualified in the slalom portion of Friday's super-combined.

Vonn joined Andrea Mead Lawrence as the only American woman to win two golds at a world championship. Mead Lawrence won the slalom and giant slalom at the 1952 Oslo Olympics, which doubled as the worlds.

"To get something historical means so much to me," Vonn said. "That is why I work so hard out here doing my best. I'm so thankful to my husband, my coaches and the U.S. Ski Team."

Vonn also matched her childhood idol Picabo Street, who won the downhill at the 1996 world championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. Another American, Hilary Lindh, won in 1997 in Sestriere, Italy.

Defending champion Anja Paerson was faster than Vonn midway down before the Swede made a few major errors and finished tied for 12th with Aurelie Revillet of France.

The 17-year-old Gut registered the top speed -- 104 km/h -- but couldn't match Vonn's line.

While her run was the fastest at the time, Gut shook her head when she crossed the finish line.

"I knew it was insufficient for gold," Gut said. "I have incredible pain in the belly. I don't know why. It's certainly not the food, nor nervousness."

Gut has raced only four World Cup downhills in her career, with her best result being third in her discipline debut on home snow in St. Moritz a year ago. Her only World Cup win came in super-G last season, also in St. Moritz.

After missing much of the season with an irregular heart beat, Fanchini won a super-G in Lake Louise, Alta., to open this season. Her sister Elena took silver in downhill at the 2005 worlds in Bormio-Santa Caterina, Italy.

The race was initially scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed due to excessive snowfall.

Course conditions were better Monday, but visibility was still a factor. The light was good for the early skiers, such as the sixth starter Gut, then clouds moved over the course after Fanchini, who was eighth out of the gate.

Andrea Fischbacher, who was third in the super-G, skied after Fanchini and struggled.

Marie Marchand-Arvier, the Frenchwoman who was second in the super-G, also made a couple of minor mistakes in her run.

Elisabeth Goergl of Austria finished fourth and Marion Rolland and Marchand-Arvier of France were fifth and sixth.

Better light returned for the top-ranked skiers such as Paerson and Vonn.

Dominique Gisin, who won consecutive downhills last month, was faster than her teammate Gut through the first interval, then veered wide and missed a gate. Another Swiss skier, Nadia Styger, also went off course on a sharp turn.