With three Swedes to the final, Stina Nilsson was one of the big favorites. Once there, she was beaten by a 20-year-old named Linn Svahn - who is not related to Gunde Svan.

Svahn is a first-year senior and belongs to Sweden's development team. She finished second in the Swedish premiere in Gällivare in November and has had good results at national competitions. Today she made her second World Cup competition, having debuted in Falun last spring.

"It's about driving smart, smart and efficient"

Linn Svahn got a cannonball on the competition day which did not start as well.

- It felt bad. "I didn't ski so well, but I'm on anyway," Svahn said after the prologue.

Then she had a clear plan for the rest of the competition.

- In the seminar, it was about going smart, smart and efficient to save energy for the final, which was the goal of the day. There it was just to release everything.

And she really did. She hung with the cluster during the first lap to pull away in the last curve of the second lap. She got a real lead in the rally that no one could catch and she went in goal before Sophie Caldwell and Maiken Caspersen Falla.

Stina Nilsson missed the podium

Afterwards, the 20-year-old revealed a secret.

- I haven't said this to so many, but before the season I had the goal of winning a distance race, which I checked out last weekend. I also aimed to win a World Cup, which was perhaps a bit of a hybrid. But now I can say that after winning.

- Right now I'm floating on clouds.

Linn Svahn after victory: "I float on clouds"

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At the beginning of the final, Jonna Sundling herself lost the chance to be involved in the fight for medals when she fell.

- Someone lay too close then I lay on the ground. I tried to clean it up but just spun around and then I lay there. It takes a lot of energy and I couldn't catch up.

Stina Nilsson, who finished fifth in the sprint premiere in Ruka, finished in fourth place.

- It was pretty messy right when Jonna fell, although it didn't affect anything in the long run. I thought I had a good position but that was not enough today.

In the men's final Johannes Hösflot Kläbo, Norway, sprinted ahead of Lucas Chanavat, France.

Svahn about meeting Northug: "He was my greatest love"

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