Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic retained her 10km freestyle World Championship title by destroying the field in Sapporo.
The 34-year-old, who also won the 30km freestyle mass start at last year's Olympics, posted a time of 23:58.4 to win by over 26 seconds.
15km pursuit champion Olga Savialova took silver, 3.7 seconds quicker than Italy's Arianna Follis who gained her first individual medal at a major Championship.
Neumannova was edged out by half a second in the pursuit by Savialova and the pair were seperated by just seven seconds on the clock at the halfway point.
But then the defending champion produced a devastating burst to surge clear of her rivals, adding 19 seconds to her lead over the Russian in the space of 3.3km.
29-year-old Follis overturned an eight second deficit on fading Norwegian Kristin Stoermer Steira, winner of the bronze in the pursuit, in the final 1.7km to add another bronze to the ones she gained in the relays at Oberstdorf, two years ago, and in Turin.
Swedish teenager Charlotte Kalla was a surprise fifth while two-time defending World Cup champion Marit Bjoergen fell and could only manage 22nd place.
The finish duo of Virpi Kuitunen and Aino Kaisa Saarinen did not race today, even though they were considered strong podium contenders. Why they did not race is unclear.
Canadian results included Canadians Daria Gaiazova(47th), Tasha Betcherman (50th), Chandra Crawford( 59th) and Sarah Daitch (61st).
US skiers were lead by Lindsey Weier (52nd), followed by Sarah Konrad (55th), and Caitlin Compton (60th).
A total of 72 athletes completed the race today.
1 76 1054778 NEUMANNOVA Katerina 1973 CZE 23:58.4
2 68 1088922 SAVIALOVA Olga 1972 RUS 24:24.9
3 64 1138877 FOLLIS Arianna 1977 ITA 24:28.6
4 65 3425003 STEIRA Kristin Stoermer 1981 NOR 24:33.9
5 58 3505217 KALLA Charlotte 1987 SWE 24:41.9
6 66 1256732 SACHENBACHER STEHLE Evi 1980 GER 24:44.4
7 75 1255374 ROPONEN Riitta Liisa 1978 FIN 24:48.4
8 72 1142563 SHEVCHENKO Valentina 1975 UKR 24:51.7
9 71 1094063 SMIGUN Kristina 1977 EST 24:56.3
10 63 3485032 KOROSTELEVA Natalia 1981 RUS 24:57.2
11 60 1207165 MEDVEDEVA Evgenia 1976 RUS 25:09.5
12 42 1250524 GENUIN Magda 1979 ITA 25:12.0
13 57 1005017 VALBUSA Sabina 1972 ITA 25:15.4
14 56 1181848 JATSKAJA Oxana 1978 KAZ 25:22.7
15 62 1220648 KUENZEL- NYSTAD Claudia 1978 GER 25:28.6
16 51 3485195 TCHEKALEVA Ioulia 1984 RUS 25:28.8
17 30 1194555 NESTERENKO Lada 1976 UKR 25:31.3
18 70 3435001 KOWALCZYK Justyna 1983 POL 25:32.5
19 53 1355769 STEMLAND Kristin Muerer 1981 NOR 25:36.6
20 38 1237817 DAHLBERG Anna 1976 SWE 25:37.7
21 69 1305426 SKOFTERUD Vibeke W 1980 NOR 25:40.7
22 74 1303777 BJOERGEN Marit 1980 NOR 25:50.6
23 52 1101920 CONFORTOLA Antonella 1975 ITA 25:50.9
24 50 3505069 LINDBORG Sara 1983 SWE 25:52.8
25 40 3515004 BUCHER Silvana 1984 SUI 25:56.9
26 45 1319976 KOLOMINA Elena 1981 KAZ 25:57.2
27 49 1293107 BOEHLER Stefanie 1981 GER 25:57.3
28 61 1182042 MALAHOVA-SHISHKINA Svetlana 1977 KAZ 25:57.6
29 59 1247226 ZELLER Katrin 1979 GER 26:00.1
30 29 3785000 TERENTJEVA Irina 1984 LTU 26:04.1
31 35 3665001 VASILJONOK Olga 1980 BLR 26:07.3
32 47 3155008 JANECKOVA Ivana 1984 CZE 26:09.2
33 46 1126073 SAARI Milla 1975 FIN 26:09.6
34 43 3705003 PROCHAZKOVA Alena 1984 SVK 26:18.4
35 16 3695016 ANTSYBOR Maryna 1987 UKR 26:18.8
36 41 1289227 SANNIKOVA Alena 1980 BLR 26:20.5
37 37 3155041 NYVLTOVA Eva 1986 CZE 26:24.5
38 67 1099204 PHILIPPOT Karine 1974 FRA 26:26.7
39 55 3125015 LIU Yuanyuan 1982 CHN 26:29.1
40 33 1215022 SHABLOUSKAYA Ludmila 1975 BLR 26:30.0
41 36 1312216 BONER Seraina 1982 SUI 26:36.0
42 54 1283116 ANDERSSON Lina 1981 SWE 26:36.3
43 39 3125002 HONGXUE Li 1984 CHN 26:37.6
44 14 3665000 LOPATINA Viktoria 1981 BLR 26:42.0
45 25 1333556 ISSACHENKO Natalya 1979 KAZ 26:48.9
46 13 3705007 GARAJOVA Katarina 1987 SVK 26:51.2
47 31 3105040 GAIAZOVA Daria 1983 CAN 26:52.0
48 34 1274871 SONETA Chizuru 1978 JPN 26:53.1
49 48 1217156 ERBENOVA Helena 1979 CZE 26:59.3
50 27 1333459 BETCHERMAN Tasha 1974 CAN 27:02.6
51 23 1258769 LEE Chae-Won 1981 KOR 27:03.5 102.95
52 21 3535027 WEIER Lindsey 1984 USA 27:08.0 105.45
53 1 3065000 SANTER Nathalie 1972 BEL 27:12.0 107.68
54 44 1027327 LEONARDI CORTESI Natascia 1971 SUI 27:18.6
55 26 1337630 KONRAD Sarah 1967 USA 27:36.3
56 32 1323565 MANNIMA Tatjana 1980 EST 27:36.4
57 17 3565002 FABJAN Vesna 1985 SLO 27:46.6
58 28 3395005 SIRGE Kaili 1983 EST 27:50.1
59 24 3105013 CRAWFORD Chandra 1983 CAN 27:59.7
60 9 3535021 COMPTON Caitlin 1980 USA 28:05.3
61 15 3105002 DAITCH Sarah 1981 CAN 28:09.0
62 18 1327348 CALDER Katherine 1980 AUS 28:22.0
63 12 3125007 BO Song 1985 CHN 28:30.6
64 11 3775002 RESHETKOVA Olga 1982 KGZ 29:11.1
65 19 3095008 KOUVA Rayna 1987 BUL 29:28.1
66 10 3565005 VISNAR Katja 1984 SLO 30:06.4
67 8 3415000 BONDARENKO Samantha 1985 NZE 32:08.3
68 6 3085002 MOURAO Jaqueline 1975 BRA 32:21.4
69 4 3745004 VAROSYAN Syuzanna 1987 ARM 33:14.7
70 2 3285000 KUZMINA Katrina 1983 ISR 35:46.0
71 7 3245000 ZAMBO Viktoria 1977 HUN 41:59.3
72 5 3085000 BECSKEHAZY Franziska 1966 BRA 48:46.4
Source: Eurosport.com
