Norway's Marit Bjoergen joined the most elite of company on Sunday, winning her eighth Olympic gold medal to equal the record for most in Winter Games history.

Her dominant win in the 30-kilometer mass start at Pyeongchang's Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Centre means she climbs alongside compatriots, biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and cross-country skier Bjoern Daehlie, atop the Winter Olympic pile.

Finland's Krista Parmakoski won silver, her third medal of the games, and Sweden's Stina Nilsson took bronze in the cross-country classic style race.

Austria's Teresa Stadlober looked to be on her way to the podium until she took a wrong turn after the 20-km mark while in second, putting an end to her hopes of challenging Bjoergen.

"When I look behind me and see what I have done, it's incredible," said Bjoergen, who also won her 15th total medal, the most of any Winter Olympic athlete. "It has been an amazing career for me, this is my last Olympics and to finish like this is incredible."

"Of course I'm very proud of myself to do what I've done, it's been an incredible career for me. And after being a mum, it's hard to stay away from home, and these three weeks I was away from my son, also, it's been tough. To finish like this is amazing."

After setting off near the front of the field, Bjoergen, who also won gold in the women's relay in Pyeongchang, sat in the leading group until making her break near the 9-km mark, showing her predominantly Scandinavian competitors a clean pair of heels as she skied into the distance.

By the 11.25-km mark, she had built a 21-second lead over Parmakoski and Sweden's Charlotte Kalla.

But that was not enough for the legendary 37-year-old, because over the next 19 kilometers she almost constantly built her lead, which ballooned to more than two minutes at one point, before crossing 1:49.5 ahead of the Finn.

"I came to these Olympics to fight for one individual gold medal and I didn't have it before, the 30 km (classic), and I knew that was the distance for me and I like these conditions," said Bjoergen. "I knew that I had good skis on these conditions, I knew everything was there for me if I had a good body."

Kalla fell back to fifth, while her countrywoman Nilsson outdueled Norway's Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg with a late burst to win bronze.

Stadlober was left distraught and questioning how she took a wrong turn that took her from a podium place to deep in the pack.

"I don't know, I really don't know. I took the wrong way in the end, and this twice. The second time I wasn't sure anymore. I had a blackout. I don't know why I took the wrong way," she said after crossing the line in ninth.

"I'm really sad and disappointed that it has happened today because I had a really good day, my shape is good. I know in classic I can make a good race, I also had really good skis. Before I took the wrong way I thought I could fight for a medal."

Japan's entrant, four-time Olympian Masako Ishida, had the best result of her games, finishing in 10th, 4:20.8 behind the winner. She earlier finished 14th in the skiathlon and 18th in the 10-km freestyle.