The World Cup leader Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (NOR, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) had decided to start with the very last bib in order to always be well informed about the earlier starting competitioners. The information from the supervisors should have been rather demotivating for the Tour de Ski winner from the beginning, who was only around the tenth place - but during the race she increased slightly. As expected, her supervisors called her the times of Therese Johaug, who was not as dominant today as it was in each race this season. "This is a great athmosphere here like in World Championships. The track is heavy with steep climbs and flat passages and the spectators cheer on you everywhere on the track. We should race more World Cups here in Sweden", said Johaug. In the finish she won 22 seconds ahead of Astrid Jacobsen (NOR). Ebba Andersson celebrated her first podium in front of home crowd in third place. Ingvild Flugstad Østberg came in sixth and is thus about on a level with Natalia Nepryaeva (RUS, Fischer skis, bindings and boots), her rival during Tour de Ski. Ragnhild Haga (NOR, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) finished ninth in front of Anna Nechaevskaya (RUS, Fischer skis, bindings and boots).
Didrik Tønseth made it onto the podium in the men's race over 15 kilometers, after saving energies in collaboration with two-time winner Sjur Røthe (NOR). Sergey Ustiugov (RUS, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) started the race very fast and finished fourth. Dario Cologna (SUI, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) is on his way back to the top by taking eighth place in preparation for the World Championships after his premature retirement at the Tour de Ski.
