The 27 year-old will be the first of 42 entrants in the ladies' section who will attempt to get the better of the 1,225 metre course during qualification.

She will be followed by 20-year-old Canadian Meryeta Odine and 28-year-old compatriot Carle Brenneman.

But it is the appearance of Eva Samkova, fourth out of the blocks, that is likely to set pulses racing.

The 24-year-old Czech Republic competitor is the reigning Olympic champion having won gold at the Sochi Winter Games of 2014.

American Lindsey Jacobellis is another strongly favoured rider with a wealth of Cross experience.

She will be seventh to go and the 32-year-old enters in good form and with a huge calibre.

Jacobellis has competed at every Olympics since snowboard cross made its debut in 2006. 

However, despite being among the favorites each time, she has just one Olympic medal so far, which was a silver from Torino in 2006.

Jacobellis was looking good to win gold that year, but crashed on one of the final jumps and was passed by Switzerland's Tanja Frieden. 

In both 2010 and 2014, she was eliminated in the semifinals after crashing out of her heat.

She just won her fifth world title earlier this year and remains the only American to have ever won an Olympic medal in women's snowboard cross.

The men's section will see 81 riders compete for qualification over the same Val Thorens course, with American Hagen Kearney first to go.

He will be followed by Alessandro Haemmerle and then a trio of Australians in Jarryd Hughes, Adam Lambert and Alex Pullin.

American Seth Westcott, the gold medallist at both Torino in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010, will have to bide his time before showing off his skills as he is 69th to go. 

Current Olympic champion, Pierre Vaultier, will be 11th on the list to head onto the slopes in front of his adoring French fans.

After qualification tomorrow the finals will take place on Wednesday (December 13).