Norwegian cross-country skier Therese Johaug became the first person to bag an Olympic gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Saturday.

The 33-year-old won the medal after coming first the women’s cross-country skiathlon event. Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia secured the silver medal, while Austria’s Teresa Stadlober snagged the bronze.

Meanwhile, Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a skier from China’s Uyghur community who helped deliver the Olympic flame to the opening ceremony of the games, finished 43rd.

Also read | All snow at Beijing Games is fake; here’s why that should worry you

The event was a mass-start race that involved 7.5 kilometres of classic skiing. After completing two laps around the 3.75 kilometre circuit, contestants were required to quickly switch to skate skis and complete another two laps.

Johaug managed completed the rest before anyone else, crossing the finishing line with a big smile on her face.

The 33-year-old is an accomplished skier and won the Olympic gold in 4 × 5 kilometre relay event the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. She also won the a silver medal in the 30 kilometre mass-start event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, where she also secured a bronze medal in the 10 kilometre individual event.

Also read | Explained: Olympic ski jumpers count on technique and timing

The Olympian also holds 19 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medals, with 14 gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals.

In 2016, Johaug tested positive for taking Clostebol, a performance-enhancing drug. A lengthy investigation found her guilty of the offence, for which she was suspended for 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The suspension prevented her from participating the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Several other medal events are scheduled for Saturday in the Beijing Games: Women’s 3,000m speed skating, Mixed relay biathlon, Women’s ski jumping – normal hill, Short track speed skating mixed relay final, Men’s freestyle skiing.