Action is due to begin tomorrow (Thursday) with the men’s 20 kilometres individual, with the field of more than 100 athletes including Pyeongchang 2018 gold medallist Johannes Thingnes Bø of Norway, the defending World Cup champion, and overall men's World Cup leader Quentin Fillon Maillet of France.

Bø has had a tough season, including a run of 17 races without a win, which was ended at Annecy Le Grand-Bornand in France, in the men’s 10 kilometres sprint last month.

Fillon Maillet is in red-hot form this season, winning the men's 12.5 kilometres pursuit at the last World Cup round in Ruhpolding, Germany last weekend, as he took a fourth successive World Cup victory.

Start lists have yet to be announced for the rest of the events on the Antholz-Anterselva schedule, with the women’s 15km individual the only race due to take place on Friday (January 21).

The men’s 15km mass start and women’s 4x6 kilometres relay are scheduled for Saturday (January 22), with the men’s 4x7.5 kilometres relay and women’s 12.5km mass start events due to conclude action on Sunday (January 23).

In the race for the overall women’s World Cup crown, Marte Olsbu Røiseland of Norway leads with 651 points, with her closest rival Elvira Oeberg of Sweden sitting on 563.

Røiseland also leads in the pursuit and sprint World Cup categories.

Meanwhile, in the race for the overall men’s World Cup title, Quentin Fillon Maillet of France leads on 581, with his nearest rival Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson sitting on 484.

Fillon Maillet also holds an advantage in the pursuit category.

Biathlon competition at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place from February 5 to 19 at the National Biathlon Centre in Zhangjiakou.