She erased a slight deficit in her second run to finish in 1 minute, 40.49 seconds. Germans took the next two spots — Tina Hermann in 1:40.51 and Jacqueline Loelling in 1:40.73.
The International Olympic Committee will decide on Dec. 5 if Russia can compete at the upcoming Pyeongchang Games. Nikitina's result from Sochi might also be vacated if a separate IOC panel determines she was guilty of doping then.
In the men's race, Yun Sungbin of South Korea convincingly beat Latvia's Martins Dukurs for the gold — as the two reversed their finishes from the season-opener in Lake Placid, New York, last weekend.