The competition came after the conclusion of the World Cup season in Falun, Sweden, and saw 140 athletes from 16 countries travel to the area to compete in the 1.4 kilometre races.

Following the handing over of the Olympic flag to Beijing 2022 at the Closing Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics last month, the focus of the event in Yan’an was to promote the sport in China in preparation for their home Games.

This strategy appears to have worked with approximately 30,000 spectators said to have attended the event, in a sport where China does not boast any pedigree.

Switzerland's Laurien van der Graaff, who won two gold medals in World Cup competitions last season, came out on top in the women's race over Norwegian duo Tiril Udnes Weng and Amalie Håkonsen, who came second and third respectively.

The men's event was won by Pyeongchang sprint silver medallist Federico Pellegrino of Italy with France's Lucas Chanavat and Finland's Martti Jylhae rounding off the podium.

Overall FIS World Cup champion and triple Olympic gold medallist Johannes Klaebo of Norway was also competing in the men's race but faltered in the quarter-final and was subsequently eliminated.

FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis said she was pleased with how the event went.

"This inaugural FIS city sprint was a great success at so many levels, in promoting cross-country skiing in China," she said.

"The number of teams and top athletes participating in Yan’an at the end of a long tough season is testament to the importance attached to the development of the sport in China and Beijing 2022.

"The local organisers have had valuable experience in arranging such a high-level event from logistics to sports organisation."