Näslund was in sublime form before heading to the Winter Olympics last month and had recorded five-straight Ski Cross World Cup victories before Pyeongchang 2018.

Her excellent performances mean the world champion has accumulated 720 points this campaign and has already sealed the ski cross crystal globe for the overall title with three World Cup races to spare.

Newly-crowned Olympic champion Kelsey Serwa of Canada, however, will be looking to continue her good form at the Sunny Valley ski resort, near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, and will be hoping to secure her first World Cup win of the season.

Fellow Canadian Brittany Phelan and Switzerland's Fanny Smith, who completed the podium line-up at Pyeongchang 2018, will be other names to look out for this weekend.

In the men's event, Pyeongchang champion Brady Leman of Canada will be looking to win his first World Cup title of the season.

However, it is silver medallist Marc Bischofberger from Switzerland who currently tops the ski cross World Cup rankings on 457 points and he will be looking to extend his lead.

Home hopes will no doubt rest on the shoulders of Sergey Ridzik who, under the guise of a neutral Olympic Athlete from Russia, claimed bronze at Pyeongchang 2018.

Ridzik’s good form and the backing of a home crowd certainly makes him one of the favourites for this weekend's gold medal.

Defending World Cup champion Jean-Frédéric Chapuis of France will also be a contender in Sunny Valley after registering two podium finishes in his last three races.

The event will begin with qualifying tomorrow before the competition races take place on Saturday (March 3) and Sunday (March 4).