Liberec, Czech Republic  - Aino-Kaisa Saarinen won her third gold medal at the Nordic world champions on Thursday when she anchored Finland to back-to-back women's cross-country relay titles.

Saarinen made up an 8.2-second deficit on Norway at the final exchange to top the 4x5-kilometres race in 54 minutes 24.3 seconds with Pirjo Muranen, Virpi Kuitunen and Riitta-Liisa Roponen.

Germany won a dramatic three-team sprint for silver, with Sweden third and Norway knocked off the podium in fourth place after leading at the final exchange.

Finland led shortly after the first exchange when the team sprint winner Kuitunen moved past Poland, which had a strong first leg from pursuit world champion Justyna Kowalczyk.

Kuitunen led by more than 30 seconds after the classic style legs at the halfway mark, but Norway's pursuit silver medallist Kristin Stoermer Steira set a brutal pace as she caught and passed Roponen in the first freestyle leg.

However, inexperienced Marthe Kristoffersen stood no chance against Saarinen on the final leg. Saarinen took the lead halfway through the final leg and cruised to victory, pumping her fists as she crossed the finish line.

Kristoffersen also had to bow to Germany's Claudia Nystad and Sweden's Charlotte Kalla on the home stretch. Germany trailed Finland by 13 seconds, Sweden by 13.4 and Norway by 16.1 seconds.

Saarinen, 30, is the most successful athlete in Liberec. She has medalled in every event she entered, winning gold in the 10km, team sprint (with Kuitunen) and relay, and getting bronze in the pursuit.

Norwegian skier Ola Vigen Hattestad and American Nordic combined athlete Todd Lodwick have two golds each.

Lodwick's dreams of another medal all but evaporated earlier Thursday when the US finished dead last in the ski-jumping portion of the team event after Bill Demong was disqualified ahead of his jump because he could not find his bib.

"Bill couldn't find his start number. I am really sad because our hope for a medal is over. There is no possibility to fight for it," said team member Johnny Spillane, a 2003 sprint event world champion.

France led from Austria and holders Finland after the jumping portion ahead of the afternoon's 4x5km cross-country relay. (dpa)