Stina Nilsson was absent through illness from the season finale to guarantee Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway the overall sprint World Cup title.

Falk crossed the line first in the six-person final in a time of 3min 8.25sec.

Team-mate Jonna Sundling was second after finishing 0.53 behind while Norway's Marit Bjørgen finished 1.40 behind the winner in third.

Falla was duly eliminated in the semi-finals and had to settle for eighth place overall.

She nonetheless became the fourth woman to win the World Cup sprint title three campaigns in a row.

The others were Bjørgen, who did so four times between 2003 and 2006, another Norwegian in Bente Skari, who did so five times between 1998 and 2002, and United States' Kikkan Randall, the freshly elected International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission member who did so in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo ensured Norway did have a race win to celebrate today by clinching the corresponding men's race in 2:34.97.

Klaebo, already confirmed as the sprint champion this term, won three Olympic gold medals at Pyeongchang 2018 last month and is all-but guaranteed to become the overall World Cup winner as well.

He has a 272 point lead over compatriot Martin Johnsrud Sundby with only 300 left available.

Federico Pellegrino of Italy finished second today, 0.39 behind.

Lucas Chanavat crossed 1.76 seconds off the pace for a distant third.

The trio finished in the same three positions in the overall standings.

Norway's Heidi Weng is close to winning the overall women's title.

She leads by 141 points over team-mate Ingvild Flugsad Østberg.

Classic mass start and freestyle pursuit races will continue action in Falun tomorrow and Sunday (March 18).

Fifty points are available for a race win, with the best male and female skiers overall in Falun handed a 200-point bonus.