In-form Makarainen claims wire-to-wire triumph in Pokljuka

In the women's 10km pursuit, the veteran Finnish superstar shot clean and was typically dominant on the skis as she crossed the line in 29:16.9 minutes, 41.3 seconds clear of Dorothea Wierer.

Remarkably, Wierer, third-placed Paulina Fialkova – who achieved her second career World Cup podium finish – and fourth-placed Lisa Vittozzi all shot clean but couldn't keep up with Makarainen on the skis.

The 35-year-old Finn skied away from the stadium start in the lead and just kept going – covering the 2km loops quicker than Wierer, even though the Italian was shooting faster on the range.

"It was an amazing race for so many of the girls; I do not remember when so many were shooting clean," said Makarainen.

"I enjoyed it a lot but had to work hard on the first loop because I knew Doro was a faster shooter and she can always gain some seconds on the range. I did not feel as strong as on Saturday [when she won the 7.5km sprint] but it was strong enough.

"My standing and also my prone shooting felt good; the conditions were quite easy here, not too much wind. Right now, the shooting feels good and I hope that feeling continues."