Kalla delivers Sweden's first gold of 2015 World Championships

Despite Kalla claiming 15km pursuit bronze already, the fans in Falun, Sweden, were still waiting to see one of their own athletes climb the top step of the podium.

But that wait ended when Kalla, who won Olympic gold in the discipline in 2010, dominated from the start and won by a massive 41 seconds, finishing in 25: 8.8 minutes.

As Norwegian favorites Marit Bjoergen and Therese Johaug both struggled, Americans Jessica Diggins and Caitlin Gregg delivered one of the biggest surprises of the championships by claiming silver and bronze respectively.

Diggins won gold with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint at the 2013 worlds, but has never made the podium in an individual long-distance race on the World Cup. Gregg, meanwhile, has never finished in the top 10 on the World Cup.

© Sportsbeat 2015