Tretiakov saw off the challenge of last year’s World Cup winner Martins Dukurs of Latvia and reigning world champion Christopher Grotheer of Germany to secure the title in the Austrian city.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic gold medallist claimed victory in a combined time of 1min 45.07sec as he secured his 21st World Cup triumph of his career.

Tretiakov, who also won the last race of the last season in Innsbruck, was in third place after the first race in 52.74 before going on to lead the field with the best time in the second run of 52.33.

The 36-year-old triumphed by just 0.07 as six-time world champion Dukurs slipped to second after leading at the halfway point.

Grotheer put together two solid runs to finish third in 1:45.23 - 0.16 behind Tretiakov.

With just three months to go until the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Chinese athletes competed internationally for the first time since the World Cup in March 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Three members of China's team finished in the top 20 with Geng Wenqiang coming 12th, Yan Wengang crossing in 17th and Chen Wenhao taking 19th spot.

Nikitina, a four-time European champion and Olympic bronze medallist, topped the standings in the opening women’s skeleton race of the season.

The 29-year-old was joint second with Bos Kimberley of The Netherlands after the first run as Belgium’s Kim Meylemans led the way.

But Nikitina secured the title when she completed her second run in 53.62 for a time combine of 1:47.49 to win by 0.10.

Bos was second in 1:47.59 as Meylemans dropped from first to third with 1:47.62.

Tomorrow will see bobsleigh and women's monobob action take centre stage on the Austrian track as the World Cup season continues in the two disciplines.

Innsbruck is also set to stage the second leg of the Skeleton World Cup on November 26.