Anton Shipulin and Alexey Volkov, gold medallists in the 4x7.5 kilometre relay at Sochi 2014, were joined by Vancouver 2010 relay champion Svetlana Sleptsova at the Snezhinka Stadium.

Uliana Kaisheva completed the Russian quartet today and they romped to victory in 1 hour 12min 17.1sec with ten spare rounds.

The home team were always the favourites thanks to their Olympic pedigree and they pulled away after the second leg, increasing the gap over the field until the finish.

Shipulin started his prone shooting with two mistakes but his country could not be stopped.

"Actually, it was not that easy, as I expected and wanted," Shipulin said. 

"But still, I am happy that today we could win at home and glad that the rivals gave an opportunity to remember the competitive emotions we lack at summer."

Slovakia finished second with 16 spares, 29.7 seconds back, while Ukraine won bronze, 1:24.1 adrift and with six spares.

The summer event is a good gauge of biathlon form before the winter season - which includes the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games - gets underway in November.

Competitors use roller-skis and compete on tarmac. 

There was a double celebration for Russia as they also won the junior mixed relay in a time of 1:15:37.0 with three penalties and 15 spare rounds.

Ukraine, with only six spares, won silver, 57.9 back.

Bronze went to Belarus with two penalties and 13 spare rounds, 2:51.8 behind.