Norway's Klaebo continues winning start to x-country World Cup season

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo made it four wins in four races to start the cross-country skiing World Cup season on Saturday in Lillehammer, Norway.

Canadian Alex Harvey finishes 28th in 1.5 km sprint

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his fourth race in four tries on Saturday, this time on home soil in Lillehammer, Norway. (Markku Ojala/EPA-EFE)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo made it four wins from four races to start the cross-country skiing World Cup season on Saturday in Lillehammer, Norway. 

The Norwegian won the 1.5-kilometre classic sprint with a time of three minutes, 28.99 seconds, beating Sergei Ustyugov of Russia who clocked in 0.83 seconds back, while another Russian, Alexander Bolshunov, was third, 1.29 seconds off Klaebo.

Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-neiges, Que., was the top Canadian in the field and finished 28th. 

Russia's success came despite competing with a depleted team after six athletes were suspended on Thursday in relation to alleged doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Norway's Maiken Caspersen Falla won the women's 1.3-kilometre sprint by 2.07 seconds over Finn Krista Parmakoski. U.S. skier Sadie Bjornsen took back-to-back sprint podiums with third place, five seconds off Falla.

Emily Nishikawa and Dahria Beatty finished 58th and 59th, respectively, for Canada. 

With files from CBC Sports