Australian skiers Will Clifford and Brenton Fetterplace have gained invaluable experience at the elite level of alpine skiing, making their debut appearances at the World Championships in Are, Sweden.
 
Clifford finished in 56th place in the super G in a time of one minute 18.23 seconds, 3.93 seconds behind the winning time of Italian racer Patrick Staudacher.
 
Fetterplace was 0.67 seconds behind his Thredbo team-mate in 59th place.
 
Staudacher is the first Italian man to win an alpine world title since Tomba in 1996, and the first to win a speed event since 1952.
 
The 26-year-old has never finished higher than fifth in a World Cup event.
 
The silver medal went to Austrian veteran Fritz Strobl, with Swiss skier Bruno Kernen collecting the bronze.
 
Clifford and Fetterplace's Ski and Snowboard Australia team-mates Demian Franzen and Bryce and Hugh Stevens will compete in the giant slalom on Monday 12.