Liberec, Czech Republic - Lindsey Van's name doesn't only almost sound the same as Lindsey Vonn, she now also shares bragging rights as a ski sport world champion with the fellow American.

Van, 24, made history as the first women's ski-jump champion on Friday, two weeks after Vonn won downhill and super-g gold at the alpine worlds in Val d'Isere, France.

"We are good friends and it is great to share world championship status," said Van.

Vonn has not yet congratulated Van, but Van said in the past that the two are confused by people.

Liberec, Czech Republic - Lindsey Van of the United States made ski history on Friday when she won the first world title on offer in women's ski-jumping.

Placed fourth after the first round with 89 metres, Van, 24, soared the day's longest jump of 97m in the second round to win with 243.0 points.

First-round leader Ulrike Graessler of Germany placed second with 239.0 points from 93.5m and 94m. Third place went to Norwegian Anette Sagen with 238.5 points from 93.5m and 94m.

The 36 starters faced driving snowfall in their big-event debut. Women's ski-jumping was not recognized by the ruling body FIS until the late 1990s.

Liberec, Czech Republic - Todd Lodwick of the United States on Thursday won the cross-country portion of the only Nordic combined skiing mass start race to be contested at world championships.

Lodwick clocked 24 minutes 49.7 seconds in the 10-kilometres ski race in heavy snowfall, winning 4.6 seconds ahead of German Tino Edelmann and 5.2 seconds ahead of fellow-American Bill Demong.

World Cup leader Anssi Koivuranta was also in contention in fifth place going into the evening ski-jumping session of two rounds on the normal hill where the champion will be crowned.

Prague - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Wednesday that his government's stimulus plan is to give the Czech economy a boost amounting to 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), or nearly 180 billion koruny (7.8 billion dollars).

The stimulus is to cost taxpayers some 73.5 billion koruny, or 1.9 per cent of GDP, and expand country's budget gap accordingly, Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said.

The budget deficit is expected this year to exceed 3 per cent, a limit the European Union requires for adopting the euro.

Liberec, Czech Republic  - Xu Wenlong of China and Morgan Smyth of the United States won cross-country qualifying races and Frenchwoman Coline Mattel had the longest ski-jump as the Nordic skiing world championships were set to get underway.

The women's 10km cross-country ski race and the Nordic combined mass start event kick off the championships on Thursday.

Czech Republic  - Coline Mattel soared 99 metres on Wednesday as the first training jump for the inaugural women's ski jumping world championship competition was held on Wednesday.

The 37 women faced difficult conditions in the form of heavy snowfall and only one instead of three planned rounds was held.

Mattel soared the huge jump from a high gate, while the top favourites started from lower gates.