The 23-year-old clocked a time of 2 min 49.96sec, beating nearest challenger Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway by 0.27sec.

Completing the podium was Falla’s compatriot Heidi Weng, the overall World Cup standings leader, who finished 3.75 off the pace.

"I felt really good during the day," Nilsson said.

"It was difficult snow conditions.

"I managed to ski downhills very well.

"I wanted to ski really hard from the top of the hill and on the downhill to the stadium because I had amazing skis."

Second-placed Nilsson has cut Falla’s lead in the sprint World Cup standings to 142 points, with Weng a further 97 back in third.

Weng has increased her lead in the overall rankings to 356, with fellow Norwegian Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, a seventh-place finisher today, in second spot.

In the men’s 1.6km freestyle sprint event, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo registered his first-ever World Cup win before targeting further success at next week’s FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Finnish city Lahti.

The 20-year-old posted a time of 3:06.53 to hold off compatriot Finn Hagen Krogh by 0.6.

Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov was exactly one second back in third.

Competing in his debut World Cup campaign, Klaebo now finds himself second in the sprint standings.

He is 20 points behind Italy’s Federico Pellegrino, who came fourth today.

"I felt strong today but it was not easy to win," Klaebo said.

"It is very cool to cross the finish line in first place.

"I tried to be first on the big climb and carry on the speed to the stadium.

"I felt very good energy today and I hope to keep it until the World Champs."

Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby did not race today, but remains top of the overall World Cup standings by 284 from Ustiugov.

Action in Otepää is due to conclude tomorrow with the women’s 10km and men’s 15km interval start classic competitions.

The 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships are scheduled to begin on Wednesday (February 22).