While hosts Finland triumphed in the men's ice hockey tournament held in December in Kajaani - approximately 35 kilometres from the main host resort for the Festival - Deltrap was the first winner as competition began following last night's Opening Ceremony.

She was then followed by Italy's Alessandro Loreggia, who prevailed in the men's event held across the same distance at the Vuokatti Areena.

Deltrap was the quickest skater in the quarter-finals when she clocked 2min 31.196sec in the fourth heat, and repeated the feat in the semi-finals in 2:27.996.

That made her the favourite going into the final, which she won by almost one second with an impressive victory.

The Dutch athlete came out on top by almost one second, posting 2:27.996 to the 2:28.882 from closest challenger Maja Dora Somodi of Hungary.

Eva Grenouilloux of France crossed the finish line in third with a time of 2:28.948.

Hungary's Melinda Schönborn missed out on the podium by 0.151sec.

In the men's 1,500m, Loreggia lead home an Italian one-two.

His time of 2:24.110 was 0.174 quicker than his compatriot Lorenzo Previtali.

Loreggia won one of the slower heats in the quarter-finals in 2:28.413, and was then fastest in the semi-finals with a time of 2:21.247.

The top three in the final was completed by France's Tawan Thomas in 2:24.708, edging the 2:24.796 from The Netherlands' Niels Bergsma.

The medal events were followed by the quarter-final heats in the mixed gender 3,000m relay.

Hungary came out on top in the fastest race, clocking 4:20.022.

France were the next fastest qualifiers in the second heat in 4:21.240, with the two frontrunners kept apart in tomorrow's semi-finals.

Romania and Bulgaria were the only teams who failed to progress.

Medals are set to be decided in the women's and men's 500m tomorrow.