February 25, 2007 (Sapporo, Japan) – Four years after dominating the 2003 worlds, Russian Olga Savialova finally returned to peak form to claim the 15-km world championship title in Sapporo, Japan on Sunday.

Savialova, who won two bronze medals and one gold at the 2003 world championships in Val di Fiemme, beat out the Czech Republic’s Katerina Neumannova by 0.50 seconds to claim the world pursuit title in a time of 41 minutes and 27.5 seconds.

Norwegian Kristin Stoermer Steira claimed bronze a further 0.60 seconds behind Neumannova as favourites Marit Bjoergen and Virpi Kuitunen faltered.

“I am very happy to again become world champion. My tactic in the classic was to stay in retreat and to not lose time. In the free I just tried to stay in the lead group,” Savialova said.

“It was in the third lap that I decided to attack, even if I was afraid of my adversaries.

“I don’t have any particular ambitions for the rest of the championships even though I plan to participate in the rest of the programme.”

Finland’s Kuitunen, who took victory in the team contest and bronze in the sprint, dumped Norwegian rival Bjoergen early in the race joining a group of break-away skiers, but was soon left behind herself.

Savialova, Neumannova, Steira and Germany’s Evi Sachenbacher were the last four to reach a sprint finale, which the Russian easily dominated, denying the 30-km Olympic champion Neumannova a final major title before retiring.

Results

1. Olga SAVIALOVA (RUS) 41:27.5

2. Katerina NEUMANNOVA (CZE) 0.5

3. Kristin Stoermer STEIRA (NOR) 2.1

4. Evi SACHENBACHER STEHLE (GER) 4.6

5. Riitta Liisa ROPONEN (FIN) 24

6. Aino Kaisa SAARINEN (FIN) 24.89

7. Charlotte KALLA (SWE) 25.1

8. Marianna LONGA (ITA) 25.69

9. Justyna KOWALCZYK (POL) 32

10. Kristina SMIGUN (EST) 39.5

11. Natalia KOROSTELEVA (RUS) 45.5

12. Marit BJOERGEN (NOR) 46.19

13. Vibeke W SKOFTERUD (NOR) 01:15.1

14. Valentina SHEVCHENKO (UKR) 01:24.5

15. Pirjo MANNINEN (FIN) 01:32.9

16. Petra MAJDIC (SLO) 01:35.1

17. Claudia KUENZEL-NYSTAD (GER) 01:36.1

18. Evgenia MEDVEDEVA (RUS) 01:36.5

19. Arianna FOLLIS (ITA) 01:52.0

20. Betty-Ann Bjerkreim NILSEN (NOR) 01:52.5

21. Viola BAUER (GER) 01:53.0

22. Kamila RAJDLOVA (CZE) 01:54.3

23. Sumiko YOKOYAMA (JPN) 01:58.7

24. Irina ARTEMOVA (RUS) 01:59.7

25. Lada NESTERENKO (UKR) 02:00.6

26. Masako ISHIDA (JPN) 02:05.4

27. Britta NORGREN (SWE) 02:12.1

28. Oxana JATSKAJA (KAZ) 02:17.4

29. Svetlana MALAHOVA-SHISHKINA (KAZ) 02:21.3

30. Li HONGXUE (CHN) 02:29.4

31. Sara LINDBORG (SWE) 02:35.9

32. Katrin ZELLER (GER) 02:36.2

33. Sabina VALBUSA (ITA) 02:49.3

34. Elena KOLOMINA (KAZ) 02:49.4

35. Antonella CONFORTOLA (ITA) 02:50.2

36. Karine PHILIPPOT (FRA) 02:54.3

37. Eva NYVLTOVA (CZE) 03:33.6

38. Chizuru SONETA (JPN) 03:34.6

39. Alena SANNIKOVA (BLR) 03:35.1

40. Anna Karin STROEMSTEDT (SWE) 03:37.6

41. Kikkan RANDALL (USA) 03:40.1

42. Ludmila SHABLOUSKAYA (BLR) 03:53.6

43. Helena ERBENOVA (CZE) 03:56.5

44. Irina TERENTJEVA (LTU) 04:04.9

45. Yuanyuan LIU (CHN) 04:31.1

46. Dashia GAIAZOVA (CAN) 04:47.3

47. Hou YUXIA (CHN) 04:52.8

48. Kateryna GRYGORENKO (UKR) 46:40.2 +05:12.70

49. Dandan MAN (CHN) 46:41.6 +05:14.10

50. Tatjana ROSHINA (KAZ) 46:41.9 +05:14.39

51. Tasha BETCHERMAN (CAN) 46:42.5 +05:15.00

52. Lindsey WEIER (USA) 47:54.7 +06:27.20

DNF Virpi KUITUNEN (FIN)

DNS Katerina SMUTNA (AUT)

DNS Elodie BOURGEOIS PIN (FRA)

DNS Vita JAKIMCHUK (UKR)

DNS Kelime AYDIN (TUR) DNF

DNS Rayna KOUVA (BUL) DNF

DNF Irina NAFRANOVICH (BLR)

DNF Olga RESHETKOVA (KGZ)

DNF Samantha BONDARENKO (NZE)

DNF Franziska BECSKEHAZY (BRA)