Lindsey Vonn and Didier Cuche clinch downhill titles

Vonn's win continues a dominant season for the US skier

Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn clinched her third straight World Cup downhill title with victory in Crans Montana, the penultimate race of the season.

Vonn beat Italian Johanna Schnarf by a hundredth of a second for her sixth World Cup downhill win of the season.

"I am really happy. It was a really tough race with the changing weather conditions," said the 25-year-old.

Meanwhile, Swiss veteran Didier Cuche won his third World Cup downhill title with victory in Kvitfjell, Norway.

Cuche made up for his Olympic disappointment by adding to his titles in 2007 and 2008, and his giant slalom title last year.

"Winning a World Cup title four years in a row is proof of consistency," said Cuche, who finished sixth at the recent Games in Vancouver.

"It is just a pity that I did not perform well at the Olympics."

Olympic silver medallist Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway finished second, with Austrian Klaus Kroell third. Olympic champion Didier Defago could only manage 14th.

606: DEBATE What do you think of Vonn's achievements?

Vonn continued a fine run of form, after becoming the first American gold medallist in the downhill in Vancouver.

She now has a 197-point lead over Riesch at the top of the overall World Cup standings going into the finals in Germany next week.

"It is a relief for me to win this title here," she added.

"There is still a lot to come. However, I'll be going to the finals with a light heart."

Vonn has already overcome a leg injury this season to secure the super-G World Cup title going into the Olympics, where she also won a bronze in super-G.

On Friday, she claimed the super-combined World Cup title after the final event of the season was abandoned because of gale-force winds in Crans Montana.