Alpine skiing-Austria's Baumann leads combined after downhill

ST MORITZ, Switzerland, Feb 13 ( Reuters) - Austria's Romed Baumann led after the downhill leg of the men's combined event at the Alpine skiing world championships on Monday with compatriot Marcel Hirscher 22nd but still in contention to defend his title.

Five-times overall World Cup champion Hirscher won the 2015 gold in Beaver Creek, Colorado, despite being 31st after the downhill.

Baumann, a combined bronze medallist at the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, clocked a best time of one minute 39.25 seconds.

France's Adrien Theaux was second, in 1:39.37, with Slovenia's Martin Cater and Germany's Thomas Dressen equal third at a further 0.2 of a second adrift.

Hirscher has 2.3 seconds to make up on Baumann in the afternoon slalom leg, when the top 30 skiers from the downhill start in reverse order. Fancied French rival Alexis Pinturault was 17th and 1.46 off the lead. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)