Liberec, Czech Republic - Johan Kjoelstad and Natalia Matveeva led qualifying in the cross-country sprint at the Nordic skiing world championships on Tuesday as defending women's champion Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen crashed out.

Norway's Kjoelstad, who has two World Cup wins to his credit, clocked 3 minutes 2.05 seconds in constant snowfall on the
1.6-kilometres course.

Andrew Newell of Canada and Russian contender Alexei Petukhov followed. Defending champion Jens Arne Svartedal, 2001 winner Tor Arne Hetland and top favourite Ola Vigen Hattestad, all of Norway, were also among the 30 qualifiers from 132 starters.

On the women's side, Russia's Matveeva, a World Cup winner two years ago in Dusseldorf, Germany, was the fastest in 2:45.50 seconds for the 1.3km, leading from Italian contender Arianna Follis and the 2001 champion Pirjo Muranen of Finland.

Top favourite Petra Majdic of Slovenia, who like Hattestad has won five World Cup sprints this season, and Norwegian 2003 winner Marit Bjoergen also advanced into the deciding knockout rounds set for later Tuesday. The women's event had 96 starters.

But the 2007 champ Jacobsen, also of Norway, went out in 35th place, 10.26 seconds off the pace. Jacobsen failed to gain top form for the worlds as she started late into the season due to injury. (dpa)