The Women's Bandy World Championship began in Oslo ©FIB

Sweden beat Russia 3-2 in a repeat of all nine finals on day one of the 2020 Women's Bandy World Championship in Oslo.

Matilda Svenler scored the winning goal with just two minutes to spare at Voldsløkka Stadion in the Norwegian capital.

The Swedes have won eight out of the nine Championships held since its introduction in 2004, including the last two in a row.

All of their successes have come after victories over Russia in the final.

They went behind after seven minutes today, however, when Tatyana Gurinchik put the Russians in front.

Tilda Ström levelled with 15 minutes played before Gurinchik netted her second.

Malin Persson then scored for Sweden five minutes before half-time, setting-up Svenler's late heroics.

Sweden's only black mark at the Championships is the 2014 tournament in Lappeenranta in Finland, where the Russians beat them 3-1 for gold.

Eight teams are taking part in Oslo, with only the five nations in Group A standing a chance of winning the tournament.

All of the Group A teams played two games each on day one, with Sweden earlier beginning their title defence by edging past Finland 1-0.

The Russians thrashed United States 6-0 in their first game.

Hosts Norway drew 1-1 with the US in their opening encounter, and then beat the Americans on penalties.

The shoot-out will only be used to separate the countries if they end on the same amount of points, however.

Norway later subjected Finland to a second defeat, 2-1.

The top four teams in Group A will reach the semi-finals, while the side to miss out will play the winners of Group B for fifth place.

In Group B, Japan won both of their matches at the Bergbanen venue.

They beat Switzerland 5-0 and Estonia 3-2.

Estonia saw off the Swiss 10-2 in the other game.

China were also due to play in Group B but withdrew from the event due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. 

Matches in both groups will conclude tomorrow.

The Group A sides will complete their round-robin, with the Group B teams playing each other again.

All of the group games are being played with two 30-minute halves, with the knock-out matches consisting of two 45-minute halves.