The 30-year-old, who tested positive for anabolic steroid clostebol in October 2016, finished ahead of her compatriot Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and Sweden’s Ebba Anderson in 25min 48.2sec.

She is yet to lose a race this season, with today’s win in Sweden her eighth on the World Cup circuit.

Jacobsen, winner of an Olympic relay gold medal at Pyeongchang 2018 finished second in 26:11.0, 22.8 seconds behind.

The 21-year-old Anderson, winner of three World Junior Championship gold medals, came third in 26:13.1.

Another Norwegian Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, the current leader of the overall World Cup standings, finished in 26:46.9.

The result is enough to see her remain top on 1,237 points, though she has not made the podium now in her last two appearances.

In the men’s event, France’s Maurice Manificat took the win by little more than a second ahead of Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krueger.

Another Norwegian, Didrik Toenseth, finished third.

The win, in 34:55.4, is three-time Olympic bronze medallist Manificat’s first of the season and marks only his second appearance on the podium.

Toenseth in third crossed the line in 35:04.1.

Manificat’s win sees him move into 20th in the overall World Cup standings, while Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo remains top, despite not taking part today.

The event is due to continue tomorrow with both men’s and women’s relays.