Flury, aged 29, had just one FIS World Cup victory to her name in the super-G in 2017 and had never previously finished in the top 10 at a World Championships.

She was second out of the gate, and set a time of 1min 28.03sec on the Roc de Fer course for her rivals to beat.

Italy's Sofia Goggia, a two-time Olympic medallist in the downhill including gold at Pyeongchang 2018, had been viewed as a strong favourite for the race.

However, the downhill leader on the World Cup slipped in the lower section of the course and was disqualified for straddling a gate.

Her wait for a first World Championships gold medal goes on, and she was left dismayed afterwards.

"More than disappointed, I am sorrowful because no one will ever give me the chance to achieve a medal in this Championship," Goggia said.

"This hurts inside and it’s painful."

It was a race that favoured some of the early skiers, with Nina Ortlieb of Austria in bib number five just 0.04sec slower than Flury to earn silver.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Corinne Suter of Switzerland was seventh to race, and took bronze in 1:28.15.

Other contenders including Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland had to settle for ninth with a time of 1:28.74, with Norway's Pyeongchang 2018 downhill silver medallist Ragnhild Mowinckel a place further back in 1:28.87.

Flury, who is 11^th in the downhill standings on the World Cup circuit, was ecstatic about her victory.

"Unbelievable, I still don’t get it," she said.

"It feels unreal, crazy.

"I don’t know, it still feels like a dream.

"I don’t know what is happening and with Corinne on the podium, I don’t know, more than a dream has come true."

The Alpine Ski World Championships in the French Alps is set to continue tomorrow with the men's downhill in the co-hosting resort of Courchevel.