The double Olympic champion took full advantage of a costly error on the final shooting stage from Johannes Thingnes Bø of Norway to take victory in a time of 51min 33.80 seconds.

"It is always something special to start the season with a victory," Fourcade said. 

"Each year I am a bit afraid not to win in Östersund, but I have had a very good start of the season so far."

Bø was forced to settle for silver as he crossed the line 29.5 second adrift of Fourcade, who will be the one to beat throughout the IBU World Cup season.

Vladimir Chepelin, who represented Belarus at Sochi 2014, secured his maiden podium result as he was third having completed the tricky course in the Swedish resort 1:24.3 off the winning pace.

Lars Helge Birkeland of Norway did enough for fourth, while his legendary team-mate Ole Einar Bjørndalen, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist, was fifth.

Bjørndalen, who won the corresponding World Cup event last season, had initially planned to retire after Sochi 2014 but then vowed to carry on in order to compete at his home World Championships in Oslo earlier this year.

The 42-year-old, a former member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission before stepping down to prolong his time in the sport, then extended his career for another two years in order to be able to take part at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Despite him being in the the twilight of his sporting career, Bjørndalen, who is five major victories short of the 100 mark, is confident he can challenge the formidable Fourcade during the IBU World Cup campaign.

The event in Östersund resumes on Saturday (December 3) with the women's 7.5km sprint race.