He led an ROC one-two at the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Skiing Centre, leading for most of the race and finishing in a time of 1 hour 16min 9.8sec.

The Olympic champion was 1:11.0 clear of compatriot Denis Spitsov, who secured a first medal at the Games by finishing second, and the pair celebrated together at the finishing line.

After clinching gold, Bolshunov conveyed his pride in his success.

"My emotions cannot be expressed," he said. 

"I still have not realised that I am truly an Olympic champion. 

"This last month, I believed in myself a lot and understood that I had to become an Olympic champion and I'm especially happy that I was able to do it here in the first race."

Bolshunov won a second gold medal on the penultimate day of competition in Beijing in the men's 50 kilometres mass start free.

In a race shortened to 30km due to weather conditions, Bolshunov triumphed in a time of 1:11.32, claiming victory by 5.5 seconds from compatriot Ivan Yakimushkin.

It was a second victory over the distance for Bolshunov following his earlier win in the 30 kilometres skiathlon.

Bolshunov also won a silver medal in the men's 15 kilometres classic, in a time of 38min 18sec.

Bolshunov finished 23.2 seconds behind Finland's Iivo Niskanen.

Niskanen had led in the men's 30 kilometres skiathlon, before being overtaken by Bolshunov, who went on to claim gold in the discipline.   

The 25-year-old Bolshunov travelled to Beijing 2022 as the reigning world champion in the discipline after his triumph in Oberstdorf last year, where he also collected silvers in the men's 50km classical and the 4x10km relay and a bronze in the team sprint.

At the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang four years ago, Bolshunov won four medals in cross-country skiing.

Bolshunov placed second in the men's 50km classical, team sprint freestyle and 4x10km relay and third in the men's sprint classical.

He is the overall Cross-Country World Cup champion from the last two seasons, and has topped the distance standings for the last three.

Back-to-back Tour de Ski titles are also included on his list of honours, although Bolshunov had to settle for second place this season.

Going into Beijing 2022, he again leads the distance rankings and sits second overall in the World Cup behind perennial Johannes Høsflot Klæbo from Norway.

Bolshunov's first World Cup victory came in March 2018.