Val d'Isere, France  - Austria's Toni Sailer has won more gold medals in men's events at alpine ski world championships than any other skier, but Norway's Kjetil Andre Aamodt tops the total medals' haul with 12.

The most successful active men's skier is Bode Miller of the United States with four golds and one silver.

On the women's side, Sweden's Anja Paerson, who won three golds, a silver and a bronze at the 2007 world championships in Are, Sweden, will top the overall medals tally if she repeats that feat in Val d'Isere.

The most successful women's skier at world championships is the German Christl Cranz with 12 gold medals and 15 in total.

The most successful nation at world championships is Austria with a total of 246 medals including 79 gold, followed by Switzerland on 172 (57 gold), France 112 (37 gold) and Germany 100 (31 gold).

<# Men: (reads: Gold Silver Bronze Total) 1. Toni Sailer (Austria) 7 1 - 8 2. Jean-Claude Killy (France) 6 - - 6 3. Kjetil Andre Aamodt (Norway) 5 4 3 12 4. Gustav Thoeni (Italy) 5 2 - 7 5. Ingemar Stenmark (Sweden) 5 1 1 7 6. Marc Girardelli (Luxembourg) 4 4 3 11 7. Pirmin Zurbriggen (Switzerland) 4 4 1 9 8. Emile Allais (France) 4 4 - 8 9. Rudolf Rominger (Switzerland) 4 1 2 7 10. Stein Eriksen (Norway) 4 1 1 6 11. Bode Miller (USA) 4 1 0 5 12. Toni Seelos (Austria) 4 - - 4 13. Lasse Kjus (Norway) 3 8 - 11 14. Karl Schranz (Austria) 3 2 1 6 Hermann Maier (Austria) 3 2 1 6

Women: 1. Christl Cranz (Germany) 12 3 - 15 2. Marielle Goitschel (France) 7 4 - 11 3. Anja Paerson (Sweden) 7 2 2 11 4. Erika Hess (Switzerland) 6 - 1 7 5. Annemarie Moser-Proell (Austria) 5 2 2 9 6. Janica Kostelic (Croatia) 5 - - 5 7. Hanni Wenzel (Liechtenstein) 4 3 2 9 8. Pernilla Wiberg (Sweden) 4 1 1 6 9. Renate Goetschl (Austria) 3 4 2 9 10. Inge Wersin-Lantschner (Austria) 3 3 - 6 11. Vreni Schneider (Switzerland) 3 2 1 6 12. Trude Jochum-Beiser (Austria) 3 2 - 5 13. Rosi Mittermaier (Germany) 3 1 - 4 14. Maria Walliser (Switzerland) 3 - 1 4 15. Deborah Compagnoni (Italy) 3 - - 3

(Note: Between 1936 and 1980 the Winter Olympics were also regarded as world championships) <# (dpa)