Karlsson tops women's 50km; Hagen clinches combined World Cup

Frida Karlsson led a Swedish one-two in the first ever women's 50 kilometres cross country ski World Cup race in classic style on Saturday in Oslo where Norway's Ida Marie Hagen then clinched the women's Nordic combined World Cup title.

Karlsson broke a leader group at the famed Holmenkollen ski centre after 30km to triumph in 2 hours 20 minutes 20.3 seconds for an 11th career victory.

Andersson was 1:19.3 adrift and Germany's Katharina Hennig won a sprint for third, another 5.9 seconds back. American World Cup leader Jessica Diggins was 11th, more than four minutes off the pace.

"It was a lot of fun. I worked so hard to get the gap," Karlsson said. "I had ice in my stomach as we say in Sweden," she added in reference to her cool composure during the race.

The first women's 50km came last year in Oslo, then in freestyle, after a decision that men and women would compete over the same distances at World Cup events. The 50km are only contested at the Norwegian venue. The longest women's race previously was 30km.

Hagen meanwhile fought from third after a Thursday ski jump to her eighth season victory in the 5km cross country pursuit as she led another Norwegian podium sweep, 2.6 seconds ahead of Mari Leinan Lund and 37.9 clear of Gyda Westvold Hansen.

She clinched a first career World Cup title with one event to spare as the 2022 and 2023 champion Hansen can no longer catch her. Hagen made the podium in all 14 contested events, coming second in six events next to her eight wins.

Compatriot Jarl Magnus Riiber, already assured of a fifth career World Cup title, dominated the men's race for a record-extending 73rd career win.

In ski jumping, men's World Cup leader Stefan Kraft and Silje Opseth of Norway on the women's side soared to victories on the Holmenkollen large hill to draw first blood in the week-long Norwegian Raw Air Tour.

Austria's Kraft recorded 132 and 133 metres to beat home jumper Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal and another Austrian in the form of Jan Hörl.

Four Hills winner Ryoyu Kobayashi finished 38th in a wind-marred competition and is now 296 points behind Kraft.

The adverse conditions allowed only one jump on the women's side, with Opseth top with 127.5m for victory ahead of German Katharina Schmidt and Eirin Maria Kvandal of Norway. World Cup leader Nika Prevc of Slovenia was sixth.

The Holmenkollen action is completed on Sunday with men's 50km cross-country and Nordic combined, and men's and women's ski jumping.