Ryoyu Kobayashi is the favourite for this year's Four Hills Tournament ©Getty Images

Overall Ski Jumping World Cup leader Ryoyu Kobayashi is the favourite to clinch victory at the prestigious Four Hills Tournament, which begins with the first event of four in Oberstdorf tomorrow.

The Japanese star became only the third man to win all four stages of the Tournament last year and will hope to carry that form into the 68th edition of the competition, one of the highlights of the International Ski Federation ski jumping season.

Austrian Stefan Kraft, the 2016-2017 overall World Cup winner who claimed the Four Hills title in 2014-2015, will be among the other contenders.

Double Olympic individual large hill champion Kamil Stoch, who sits fourth in the overall standings, will also be hoping to challenge for victory at the four-stop event.

Double Olympic champion Kamil Stoch is also expected to challenge for the Four Hills Tournament title ©Getty Images
Double Olympic champion Kamil Stoch is also expected to challenge for the Four Hills Tournament title ©Getty Images

Organisers this week gave the green light for the opening event of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, despite fears over the mild weather.

Mild temperatures and a strong southern wind had led German organisers to fear they would have to cancel this year's event at Schattenberg Ski Jump.

The competitions are also secured in the other venues that make up the Four Hills, part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup - Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany on December 31 and January 1, and Innsbruck and Bischofshofen in Austria on January 3 and 4 and January 5 and 6, respectively.