Lindsey Vonn joined Bode Miller as World Cup overall champion after the Americans underlined their domination of Alpine skiing in the final week of the season.

Ted Ligety also took the giant slalom title for the US by winning the last race with Marlies Schild restoring some pride for Austria by taking the women's slalom globe.

It is the first time since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney triumphed in 1983 that Americans have been overall winners in both the men's and women's events.

However, the US team cannot fully count Miller's victory on Thursday because the maverick went independent last year.

"Unfortunately I never watched Tamara McKinney ski. She won the overall title the year before I was born," Vonn said. "To have the overall World Cup title at this stage of my career is much more than I expected."

Vonn, already downhill champion, was very close to the overall title on Thursday but had to wait an extra day in case best friend Maria Riesch won Friday's slalom and Saturday's giant slalom with Vonn getting no points.

It was never going to happen and Vonn, previously known as Lindsey Kildow, made sure by posting the best second leg score in the slalom to finish 11th.

Germany's Riesch, who claimed the Super-G title on Thursday, skied out in the slalom second run in any case.

Schild retained the slalom title after winning the race in style having been ahead before coming to the joint men's and women's grand finals in the Italian Alps.

The 26-year-old led after the first run and held on to her advantage in the second leg to give skiing-mad Austria a second title in two days following Hannes Reichelt's surprise Super-G triumph on Thursday.

Ligety, 23, scooped his first World Cup globe in the giant slalom having also been the favourite before the start.

He put his chances at risk by coming seventh in the first run, won by Miller but surged down on his second run to snatch victory and the title with Austria's Benjamin Raich finishing second in the race and second in the slalom standings.

"I definitely played too much of a tactical run (on the first leg). In the middle section (of the second run) I took a bit of a risk and I'm lucky I came through," Ligety said before hailing compatriots Vonn and Miller.

"It's cool to be in the same sentence as them given what they've done this year."

Miller skied out in the slalom second leg but his second overall title had already been assured on Thursday when only rival Didier Cuche of Switzerland, this season's downhill champion, said he would not race in Saturday's slalom.

The 30-year-old Miller, famous for his unorthodox skiing and lifestyle, did not wait to talk to reporters after the race.

Jean Baptiste Grange leads the men's slalom standings ahead of the final race in Bormio on Saturday, when the women's giant slalom also takes place. Italy's Denise Karbon is already the discipline champion.

A one-off team event on Sunday has been overshadowed by the US skiers saying they will not compete.

"What is there to race for anymore? The snow's not great. It is just an opportunity to hurt yourself," Ligety said.

Reuters