Norwegian Bø, winner of the 20 kilometres individual event at last month's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, is 43 points adrift of the Frenchman heading into another crucial event on the circuit.

Fourcade, the five-time Olympic champion who claimed three Olympic gold medals at Pyeongchang 2018, remains the favourite to clinch his seventh consecutive overall World Cup crown.

The 29-year-old, who maintained his remarkable record of finishing on the podium in every competition so far this season at the last event in Kontiolahti in Finland, has 888 points.

Bø remains the closest challenger to the formidable Frenchman and sits on 845 points.

Holmenkollen has been a successful venue for Fourcade over the years as he has claimed six victories from the last 12 competitions held there.

A continuation of that record will see him move a step closer to retaining his title, with the first men's event - the 10 kilometres sprint - due to be held tomorrow.

In the women's event, Kaisa Mäkäräinen of Finland will also bid to extend her lead at the top of the overall standings.

Mäkäräinen has 666 points, 51 in front of Slovakia's Anastasia Kuzmina in second.

The Finnish biathlete can move further clear of Kuzmina by winning tomorrow's 7.5km sprint.

The event in Holmenkollen is the penultimate stop on the World Cup circuit, with the finals scheduled to take place in Tyumen next week.

Athletes from countries such as Britain, the Czech Republic, Canada, Sweden, Slovenia, the United States and Ukraine have all boycotted the event in protest at the IBU's decision to keep it in Russia despite the nation's doping scandal.