VAL D'ISERE, France — Didier Cuche of Switzerland won the men's super-G at the world championships 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.

Defending overall World Cup champion Bode Miller finished 12th, losing time at a left-hand turn when he hit the snow with his hip and put a hand down to correct himself.

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.

"Maybe I am like the wine getting better with the years," Cuche said. "I was happy to be third in Are. Now to do it in super-G, one of my disciplines, is like a dream. I really had fun on that hill today."

Cuche's previous best finish 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 in giant slalom at the 2007 worlds at Are, Sweden.

Cuche, the two-time defending World Cup downhill champion, has been sensitive to suggestions he could not produce his best form on the big occasion.

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 finisher Christof Innerhofer of Italy said.

Defending world super-G champion Patrick Staudacher of Italy trailed by 2.61 in 17th place.

On a bright sunny day, the men enjoyed better visibility for racing than the women had to cope with Tuesday in their super-G, which was won by American Lindsey Vonn.

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.

Cuche said he was nervous before his run about a change in the weather spoiling his chance.

"I saw a cloud coming close to the sun and I said, 'No, not that, not today,'" Cuche said. "Finally, just before I started, I watched again and it was no more there."

Svindal said Cuche skied solidly on the icy track, which dropped 2,130 feet during the 1.1-mile super-G course.

"The last part where they called in the fire crews to water down the hill was not that nice," the Norwegian said. "I don't mind the ice, but he (Cuche) seems to love it. It's difficult, but we're supposed to be the best in the world so we should be able to see it."

The 26-year-old Fill added a silver medal to his first World Cup victory, achieved last November in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada.

"It's my first medal and that's great for me," he said. "All the season is good, now this is the best."

Benjamin Raich of Austria, who finished fifth, said the piste 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."

Miller 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."