Nilsson makes history with home sprint win

The Swede won the 1.4km sprint after qualifying sixth, winning her quarter-final and finishing third in her semi-final.

She was imperious in the final, covering the distance in 3:00.24, to win by just 0.01s from Norway's Maiken Caspersen Falla in a photo-finish.

Falla's compatriot Heidi Wang made it a Norway two-three by finishing 1.88s back on Nilsson, with Finland's Krista Parmakoski just 0.11s behind her Norwegian competitor.

The result meant Nilsson closed the gap on a podium spot in the overall World Cup standings, moving to 945 points, but still sits 147 behind Norway's Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg with Wang out in front on 1451.

She does move up to second in the sprint standings, though, with Falla maintaining her spot at the top of the table with 432 points, while Nilsson is now in second, on 270, with Russia's Natalia Matveeva on 226 in third.

In the men's event Italy's Federico Pellegrino moved into the sprint World Cup lead with victory, as he came out on top in a four-way photo finish.

The first four were split by just half a second, with the Italian taking the spoils in a time of 2:45.77.

Just as the women's race, Norway made up the rest of the podium with Emil Iversen in second and Sindre Bjoernestad Skar third, 0.06s and 0.47s back respectively.

Pellegrino began the day just a single point behind Skar in the sprint standings, but the win puts him 39 ahead of the Norwegian, on 259, with Russia's Sergey Ustiugov in third on 202.

In the overall World Cup Ustiugov closed the gap in leader Martin Johnsrud Sundby, but the Norwegian still holds a commanding 237-point lead over the Russian.

Racing continues for both men and women with mass start races on Sunday. Sportsbeat 2017