Norway top in World Cup pursuit races

Norwegians Marit Bjoergen and Martin Johnsrud Sundby have blazed to victory at the cross country World Cup in cold conditions in Finland.

Norway have dominated the pursuit races in the cross country World Cup, with triple Olympic champion Marit Bjoergen winning the women's 10km race and her countryman Martin Johnsrud Sundby securing the men's 15km race.

Sundby sprinted in the finishing stretch to clock 36 minutes and 50.6 seconds, beating Russia's Maxim Vylegzhanin by just 0.1 seconds.

Alexander Legkov, also of Russia, finished third, 0.6 seconds behind.

Sundby said the race was tough and the cold temperatures in Kuusamo, Finland, added to the challenge, but that the victory "was beautiful".

Earlier on Sunday, Bjoergen secured her first World Cup victory of the season, beating Sweden's Charlotte Kalla by less than a second.

Bjoergen clocked 27 minutes, 28.1 second, 0.8 seconds ahead of Kalla in second place.

Therese Johaug of Norway was third, 1.3 seconds back.

On Saturday, Bjoergen was second in the 5km race behind Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland, who also won the 1.4km sprint ahead of Kikkan Randall of the US on Friday.

Kowalczyk finished fourth on Sunday.


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Source: AAP


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