Marit Bjoergen wins record 15th world cross-country ski title

Skiing

Marit Bjoergen won a record 15th world championship gold medal in cross-country skiing on Saturday with victory in a 15-kilometer skiathlon.

The Norwegian broke away with Finland's Krista Parmakoski before dominating the final sprint to win by 4.8 seconds. Charlotte Kalla of Sweden was third, 32 seconds behind Bjoergen.

The 36-year-old Bjoergen has more gold medals than any other cross-country skier — male or female — in world championship history, having previously shared the record of 14 gold medals with retired Russian Yelena Valbe. Bjoergen is a specialist at the skiathlon, which is raced half in classic style and half in freestyle.

Bjoergen has now won three world championship skiathlons and five of the last six at major championships, including two Olympic golds, and is targeting next year's Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"I look toward the games," she told Norwegian news agency NTB.

Bjoergen returned to competition this winter from a break to have her first child. Bjoergen's partner Fred Borre Lundberg told NTB he calmed her nerves ahead of Saturday's race by sending her a photo of their baby son and the message: "It will go fine, mama."

Bjoergen's return to competition this season came at a difficult time for Norwegian skiing, which saw two of its stars, Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Therese Johaug, given bans last year for breaches of anti-doping rules.

Russian athlete Anna Medvedeva finished with her bib covered in blood from a deep gash on her face. Russian team coach Danil Akimov told state news agency Tass that Medvedeva needed stitches for the wound, which appeared to be the result of being struck by a ski pole in a collision near the start.

Russia's Sergei Ustyugov won the men's 30K skiathlon when his closest rival, Sundby, slipped on a climb on the final lap.