Around 50 athletes from 13 countries have made the journey for giant slalom and super-G competition.

Many of them will go on to compete at this month's World Cup Finals, which will also act as the Pyeongchang 2018 test event for the sport.

The men’s sitting field includes all three giant slalom medallists from the Sochi 2014 Paralympics and 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio in Italy.

Seventeen-year-old Dutchman Jeroen Kampschreur left the World Championships in January with three titles, including that in the giant slalom.

The United States’ Andrew Kurka and Austria’s Markus Gfatterhofer also made it onto the podium.

Swiss Paralympic champion Christoph Kunz, New Zealand’s silver medallist Corey Peters and Austria’s bronze medallist Roman Rabl are set to race in Hakuba as well.

Japan are well represented in the super-G with Sochi 2014 Paralympic title holder Akira Kano and silver medallist Taiki Morii.

"I wish to climb up on the top of the podium," Morii said.

"I am not so accustomed to the course, but I will do the best [I can]."

As the new world title holder and World Cup leader, Kunz is another main contender in the super-G.

One of Para-alpine skiing’s biggest rivalries will be played out once again in the women’s sitting as Austria’s Claudia Loesch and Germany’s Anna Schaffelhuber go head-to-head. 

Loesch left Tarvisio with World Championships gold in both the giant slalom and super-G, with her double seeing her finish ahead of Schaffelhuber who is the Paralympic title holder from both disciplines.

Japan’s Momoka Muraoka also took two bronze medals.

Looking to strengthen his leading status in the men’s super-G standing World Cup rankings is world and Paralympic champion Markus Salcher of Austria.

He is currently being chased by The Netherlands’ worlds bronze medallist Jeffrey Stuut, who is 80 points behind.

Australia’s Mitchell Gourley is the leader in giant slalom, maintaining a slim 16-point lead over the US’s Thomas Walsh.

Germany’s Andrea Rothfuss is likely to be full of confidence after winning the women’s giant slalom standing world title, halting the run of France’s multiple world champion Marie Bochet.

Rothfuss sits at the top of the World Cup leaderboard and a win could see her seal the crystal globe with one race to spare.

The standings are tighter in the super-G and with two races taking place in Hakuba, Rothfuss could see her slim 50-point lead over The Netherlands’ Anna Jochemsen disappear.

Slovakian team-mates Marek Kubacka and Jakub Krako will go up against each other in the men’s giant slalom visually impaired.

Paralympic silver medallist Krako, guided by Branislav Brozman, and Kubacka with guide Maria Zatovicova are currently tied at the top of the rankings.

Slovakia will also be a strong presence in the women’s visually impaired with Sochi 2014 giant slalom and super-G world champion Henrieta Farkasova taking on both events alongside guide Natalia Subrtova.

The US’s Danelle Umstead, guided by her husband Rob, will try to improve on their third place in the World Cup super-G.

Competition is due to begin with giant slalom tomorrow, followed by super-G races on Monday (March 6) and Tuesday (March 7).

The World Cup Finals are set to start with the downhill on March 12 and includes a full programme of technical and speed events.