Competition is scheduled to take place over two days at the French venue, with action beginning tomorrow.

Briançon will host the IFSC World Cup for the 10th consecutive year, but the coronavirus pandemic has led it serving as the season opener for the first time.

Postponements earlier this year led to the IFSC unveiling revised six-event World Cup season, starting with the lead competition in Briançon.

Events at Salt Lake City in the United States and South Korea’s capital Seoul are currently postponed.

Three World Cup competitions in the Chinese cities Chongqing, Wujiang and Xiamen were also scheduled to take place later in the season.

The events were cancelled last month after the Chinese Government moved to stop all international sporting events for the rest of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the exception of test events for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Briançon will serve as a rare competition for the world’s top climbers this year, with the event coming more than 170 days after the conclusion of the IFSC Pan American Championships in Los Angeles.

The IFSC says it has worked tirelessly with the French Climbing Federation to be able to deliver the highest possible level of competition.

The two-day event takes national regulations into careful consideration, as well as an overall assessment of all the risks connected with holding a sport climbing competition in the current circumstances.

Guidelines have been implemented concerning hygiene, social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment.

The IFSC added that preparatory teleconferences were held in the weeks prior to the competition, with a technical meeting conducted on August 11 to inform team officials about the safety measures in place.

Climbers from 13 nations are listed as starting the World Cup competition.

Neither last year’s men’s winner - Nishida Hidemasa of Japan's - or women's victor Seo Chae-hyun of South Korea are due to compete.

Slovenian star Janja Garnbret is among the starters in the women’s event, along with Austria’s Jessica Pilz.

The Czech Republic’s lead world champion Adam Ondra and Austria’s combined world champion Jakob Schubert will compete on the men’s side.

Qualification and semi-finals are scheduled to take place tomorrow, with finals due to take place on Saturday (August 22).

The IFSC has confirmed no ranking points will be on offer at the World Cup, due to travel restrictions preventing the participation of athletes from some areas of the world.