After qualification, quarter-finals and semi-finals in the 1.2 kilometre classic event, Vancouver 2010 Olympic sprint champion Kriukov clocked a winning time of 2 min 46.70 sec in the battle for the podium places.

He edged Norway's Ola Vigen Hattestad by 0.69 while another Norwegian in Petter Northug was third, 1.16 back.

Kriukov was fourth with 100 metres to go in the six man final, but powered past everybody to take the victory, on a course which snakes around the Royal Palace in Stockholm's Old Town.

"I am back," said the 30-year-old Russian, who last won a World Cup race in 2013, a classical sprint in Asiago, Italy.

"It feels good to be back on the podium again and this time in first.

"I have skied well here before and I am happy to do it again in the soft snow today."

Italy's Federico Pellegrino, who fell in the quarter-finals today, remains as the Sprint World Cup leader with 415 points, with Northug now on 308 in second ahead of compatriot Finn Haagen Krogh who has 252.

Falla's victory was her fourth World Cup classic sprint victory in the past five, and she has now taken the overall sprint lead from Sweden's Stina Nilsson.

She timed at 3:09.38 in the final with compatriot Ingvild Flugstad Østberg 3.39 behind in second and Nilsson 4.37 back in third.

"I am really happy with today’s result," said Falla.

"I felt so strong today and the conditions were really difficult so it’s great to win again.

"Now I have the red sprint leader's bib and I hope that I can fight to keep it."

Falla has 480 points on top of a tight sprint table, with Østberg, who also moved above Nilsson, now on 476.

The Swede has 474 points in third with the next sprint event set for Lahti in Finland on February 20.

The Cross-Country World Cup, meanwhile, will remain in Sweden with a men's 10km classic race on February 13, along with a 5km race for the women.