Simon had to serve three penalty laps, but managed to hold off the Swede by 0.2sec as the duo finished almost side-by-side.

Öberg received just one penalty for a missed target, but could not get the better of Simon so had to settle for silver.

Just 3.5 behind Simon was Austria's Lisa Theresa Hauser, who moved into fifth in the overall standings thanks to another podium finish.

It is Hauser's fifth podium of the season, following three third-place finishes in Oberhof earlier this month and a first World Cup victory yesterday in the 15km race.

Before this season, Hauser had not made the podium on the IBU Biathlon World Cup circuit.

Hauser held off Franziska Preuß of Germany for the bronze medal today, with Preuß the slowest of a breakaway pack of four.

Markéta Davidová of the Czech Republic finished fifth, while Svetlana Mironova of Russia was sixth.

Overall World Cup leader Marte Olsbu Røiseland placed seventh.

In the men's 4x7.5km relay, France's Antonin Guigonnat, Quentin Fillon Maillet, Simon Desthieux and Émilien Jacquelin came from behind to defeat Norway by just 0.8sec in another tight finish.

Russia took the lead on leg two, but a difficult anchor leg dropped them 50 seconds behind the front.

The Russians did hold off Germany to take third place, with Germany fourth, Italy fifth and Austria sixth.

The World Cup action concludes tomorrow with the women's 4x6km relay and men's 15km mass start.