A parallel giant slalom in Carezza will be the prelude to back-to-back races, a parallel giant slalom and a parallel slalom, in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Friday (December 15) and Saturday (December 16).

Among those looking to make their mark will be Switzerland’s Jenny Ladina, first and second in the parallel giant slaloms held during last weekend’s Europa Cup in Hochfügen in Germany.

The 24-year-old can take encouragement from the fact that she earned the first World Cup podium of her career in Carezza, finishing second on the Pra di Tori slope in December 2015.

Another rider who will be hoping to maintain momentum from last weekend is Austria’s Sabine Schoeffmann, victorious in the second parallel giant slalom on Sunday (December 10).

The 25-year-old, winner of a World Cup parallel slalom in German town Winterburg in March, has not placed better than sixth in Carezza, however.  

Her team-mate Ina Meschik had a memorable result in Carezza last year when she won the parallel giant slalom and celebrated a double victory for Austria with Benjamin Karl prevailing in the men's race.

Karl, the four-time world champion, is due to be sidelined for the next six weeks due to a severe ankle injury suffered during a training accident on the Carezza race slope last week.

Those who occupied the respective second and third positions behind him in Carezza last year, Russia’s Andrey Sobolev and Bulgaria’s Radoslav Yankov, are both set to compete again this year.

Slovenia’s Žan Košir, a double Olympic medallist at Sochi 2014, will not attend the Carezza event but is scheduled to start the parallel giant slalom in Cortina d'Ampezzo.