Four of the nine Aerials World Cup events of the season are scheduled to take place in Ruka, beginning with back-to-back competitions over the next two days.

Ruka is also due to host competition on December 10 and 11.

Australia’s Laura Peel will begin as one of the favourites in the women’s events after winning consecutive World Cup crystal globes.

Peel is expected to face competition from compatriot Danielle Scott and United States’ Ashley Caldwell, the 2017 world champion.

China’s Xu Mengtao will return to the circuit after missing last year’s World Cup season.

Xu will hope to challenge for podium success in the build-up to a home Winter Olympics later this season.

Russia’s Liubov Nikitina and Belarus’ Hanna Huskova are also expected to be contenders in Ruka.

Aliaksandra Ramanouskaya is likely to be absent, with the 2019 world champion having been detained in Belarus last month.

Ramanouskaya was reportedly detained by authorities for violating anti-protest laws in the country, after protesting against the Belarus Government.

Ramanouskaya last participated in a World Cup event in February 2020.

Russia’s Maxim Burov will seek to dominate the men’s World Cup season again.

Burov dominated last season by winning five of the seven World Cup events held last year, including topping the standings in Ruka.

The 23-year-old also earned individual and mixed aerials titles at the World Championships in Almaty.

Team-mates Stanislav Nikitin and Pavel Krotov will be podium contenders during the season, as well as Guangpu Qi of China.

A team aerials competition will follow the individual events in Ruka on Friday (December 3).

The opening moguls events of the season will be held on Saturday (December 4).

France’s Perrine Laffont will be the favourite in the women’s competitions, having won all three World Cup events last year.

Laffont clinched World Championship gold in Almaty last year and will seek to defend her Olympic title at Beijing 2022.

Japan’s Anri Kawamura and America's Jaelin Kauf earned podium finishes behind Laffont last season and will hope to challenge the French star again.

Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, France’s Benjamin Cavet and Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury earned wins in the men’s World Cup in the 2020-2021 campaign.

Kingsbury sealed a third World Championship title at the end of the season and will seek to underline his status as favourite for Olympic gold at Beijing 2022.