Klaebo was third at the same venue last season - his maiden World Cup top three finish - and he returned today to win in dominant fashion.

He was the quickest in qualification and stormed to victory in the final, finishing the 1.4 kilometre course in 2min 48.19sec.

Paal Golberg, another Norwegian, was second, 1.35 behind, with Sweden's Calle Halfvarsson third and 4.03 off the pace.

"It was not my plan to ski away so early but before the final hill I was told I had a five metre lead so I went for it all the way to the finish," said 21-year-old Klaebo, a bronze medallist in the sprint at this year's FIS Nordic World Championships. 

Klaebo's performance across the qualifying rounds also sees him lead the Ruka Triple, an event which will continue tomorrow with a 15km classic race and conclude on Sunday (November 26) with a 15km pursuit.

The best combined time from all three races will crown the winner.

In the women's event, Nilsson backed up her first-ever classic sprint victory in Ruka last season with a second success today.

The 24-year-old quadruple World Championship silver medallist was only 19th quickest in qualifying but battled through to the final and then won in 3:17.62.

American Sadie Bjornsen was just 0.24 seconds behind Nilsson in silver medal position with Yulia Belorukova of Russia third, 0.91 adrift of the winner's pace.

"I wanted to remain calm and focused," said Nilsson. 

"The plan was to save some energy for the final hill because it's a really tough one. 

"It has been a really good start to the new season. 

"I hope I am able to keep on skiing fast."

Bjornsen leads the Ruka Triple standings after her performance throughout the day.

The women's World Cup will continue with a 10km classic race tomorrow and a 10km pursuit on Sunday.

Today's action also featured three Russians who were sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Disciplinary Commission but were cleared to compete in Ruka by the FIS.

Six cross-country skiers from the country have been disqualified from Sochi 2014 in all and banned from competing at the Olympics for life by the Commission, chaired by IOC Executive Board member Denis Oswald.

The cases were passed to the FIS, who said in an update on the six athletes that they were awaiting the full reasoned decisions from the IOC before they take any further action.

Evgenia Shapovalova came seventh in the women's event and just missed a place in the six-woman final.

In the men's event Evgeniy Belov was 31st and Maxim Vylegzhanin was 38th.

All six, also including Alexander Legkov, Julia Ivanova and Alexey Petukhov, were given provisional suspensions by the FIS in December of last year following their implication in the World Anti-Doping Agency-commissioned McLaren Report.

Those bans ran out on October 31.