Olga Savialova of Russia outsprinted Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic and Kristin Stoermer Steira of Norway in the Women's 15 km Pursuit at the 2007 World Championships.
Kikkan Randall (USA) was the top North American in 41st. Daria Gaiazova (CAN) was 46th, Tasha Betcherman (CAN) was 51st, and Lindsey Weier (USA) was 52nd.
The young Norwegian Steira pushed the pace from the front for most of the race, churning out a relentless high tempo up all of the climbs. Unlike the men's race the day before, the women's field separated out by a kilometer or two into the skate portion, with four skiers getting away from the rest: Steira, Savialova, Evi Sachenbacher of Germany, and the powerful veteran Katerina Neumannova. Steira dropped back to third on the downhills and flats coming into the stadium for the finish, with Neumannova shadowing Savialova who had taken the lead.
Savialova was able to hold off Neumannova and Steira in the final sprint to claim the gold in 41:27.5, while Sachenbacher settled for fourth, just a few seconds off of the lead three at the finish. Next in were the Finns Riitta Liisa Roponen and Aino Kaisa Saarinen, who were never in touch with the leaders during the majority of the skate leg, but finished less than 20 seconds behind Sachenbacher. Sweden's Charlotte Kalla, who had set an aggressive pace with Steira during the classic leg, sprinted in just behind Saarinen for seventh.
Rounding out the top ten were Marianna Longa of Italy, Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland, and the well known Estonian Kristina Smigun. Last year's overall World Cup champion Marit Bjorgen was not far off the pace during the classic leg after overcoming a slow start, and was able to hang on near the end of the lead group for a few kilometers of the skate leg, but was never a major factor and ended up 12th.
1 11 1088922 SAVIALOVA Olga 1972 RUS 41:27.5 0.00
2 2 1054778 NEUMANNOVA Katerina 1973 CZE 41:28.0 0.28
3 15 3425003 STEIRA Kristin Stoerme 1981 NOR 41:29.6 1.18
4 13 1256732 SACHENBACHER STEHL Evi 1980 GER 41:32.1 2.59
5 3 1255374 ROPONEN Riitta Liisa 1978 FIN 41:51.5 13.51
6 5 1255665 SAARINEN Aino Kaisa 1979 FIN 41:52.4 14.01
7 23 3505217 KALLA Charlotte 1987 SWE 41:52.6 14.13
8 14 1222200 LONGA Marianna 1979 ITA 41:53.2 14.46
9 9 3435001 KOWALCZYK Justyna 1983 POL 41:59.5 18.01
10 7 1094063 SMIGUN Kristina 1977 EST 42:07.0 22.23
11 17 3485032 KOROSTELEVA Natalia 1981 RUS 42:13.0 25.61
12 4 1303777 BJOERGEN Marit 1980 NOR 42:13.7 26.00
13 10 1305426 SKOFTERUD Vibeke W 1980 NOR 42:42.6 42.27
14 6 1142563 SHEVCHENKO Valentina 1975 UKR 42:52.0 47.56
15 32 1255471 MANNINEN Pirjo 1981 FIN 43:00.4 52.29
16 8 1276714 MAJDIC Petra 1979 SLO 43:02.6 53.52
17 18 1220648 KUENZEL- NYSTAD Claudia 1978 GER 43:03.6 54.09
18 20 1207165 MEDVEDEVA Evgenia 1976 RUS 43:04.0 54.31
19 16 1138877 FOLLIS Arianna 1977 ITA 43:19.5 63.04
20 31 3425163 NILSEN Betty Bjerkreim 1986 NOR 43:20.0 63.32
21 25 1133445 BAUER Viola 1976 GER 43:20.5 63.60
22 28 1174670 RAJDLOVA Kamila 1978 CZE 43:21.8 64.33
23 44 1062053 YOKOYAMA Sumiko 1974 JPN 43:26.2 66.81
24 22 3485193 ARTEMOVA Irina 1984 RUS 43:27.2 67.37
25 49 1194555 NESTERENKO Lada 1976 UKR 43:28.1 67.88
26 38 1274580 ISHIDA Masako 1980 JPN 43:32.9 70.58
27 30 3505013 NORGREN Britta 1983 SWE 43:39.6 74.35
28 26 1181848 JATSKAJA Oxana 1978 KAZ 43:44.9 77.33
29 19 1182042 MALAHOVA-SHISHK Svetlana1977 KAZ 43:48.8 79.53
30 41 3125002 HONGXUE Li 1984 CHN 43:56.9 84.08
31 33 3505069 LINDBORG Sara 1983 SWE 44:03.4 87.74
32 21 1247226 ZELLER Katrin 1979 GER 44:03.7 87.91
33 24 1005017 VALBUSA Sabina 1972 ITA 44:16.8 95.28
34 36 1319976 KOLOMINA Elena 1981 KAZ 44:16.9 95.34
35 29 1101920 CONFORTOLA Antonella 1975 ITA 44:17.7 95.79
36 12 1099204 PHILIPPOT Karine 1974 FRA 44:21.8 98.10
37 43 3155041 NYVLTOVA Eva 1986 CZE 45:01.1 120.22
38 45 1274871 SONETA Chizuru 1978 JPN 45:02.1 120.78
39 40 1289227 SANNIKOVA Alena 1980 BLR 45:02.6 121.06
40 34 1283407 STROEMSTEDT Anna Karin 1981 SWE 45:05.1 122.47
41 50 1365857 RANDALL Kikkan 1982 USA 45:07.6 123.88
42 46 1215022 SHABLOUSKAYA Ludmila 1975 BLR 45:21.1 131.47
43 35 1217156 ERBENOVA Helena 1979 CZE 45:24.0 133.11
44 51 3785000 TERENTJEVA Irina 1984 LTU 45:32.4 137.83
45 27 3125015 LIU Yuanyuan 1982 CHN 45:58.6 152.58
46 47 3105040 GAIAZOVA Daria 1983 CAN 46:14.8 161.70
47 62 1340540 YUXIA Hou 1979 CHN 46:20.3 164.79
48 48 3695011 GRYGORENKO Kateryna 1985 UKR 46:40.2 175.99
49 55 3125023 MAN Dandan 1989 CHN 46:41.6 176.78
50 59 3675007 ROSHINA Tatjana 1987 KAZ 46:41.9 176.95
51 52 1333459 BETCHERMAN Tasha 1974 CAN 46:42.5 177.29
52 53 3535027 WEIER Lindsey 1984 USA 47:54.7 217.92
Did not start:
JAKIMCHUK Vita (UKR)
BOURGEOIS PIN Elodie (FRA)
SMUTNA Katerina (AUT)
Did not finish:
BECSKEHAZY Franziska (BRA)
BONDARENKO Samantha (NZE)
RESHETKOVA Olga (KGZ)
NAFRANOVICH Irina (BLR)
KOUVA Rayna (BUL)
AYDIN Kelime (TUR)
KUITUNEN Virpi (FIN)
Results Source: FIS
