Liberec, Czech Republic - Justyna Kowalczyk became the first Polish woman to win a cross-country skiing world title and Wolfgang Loitzl ended a long ski-jumping title drought for Austria at the Nordic world championships on Saturday.
Kowalczyk, 26, passed long-time leader Kristin Stoermer Steira of Norway on the final turn to win the 15-kilometres pursuit race.
Loitzl, 29, then proved his big event qualities this year, when he added the normal hill world title to the Four Hills crown in January. He won from compatriot Gregor Schlierenzauer as Austria got its first individual ski-jump world title since Heinz Kuttin's success in 1991.