Russia's Anastasiia Shevchenko will head into the Championships as one of the favourites in the junior sprint and the pursuit, titles that she won at the 2020 edition in Lenzerheide in Switzerland.

Shevchenko has also competed on the IBU Cup circuit this season.

She started this season with a win and two podiums in Arber and currently sits eighth in the overall standings, two places ahead of Norway's Aasne Skrede, who is also set to compete in Obertilliach.

Skrede won silver medals in the sprint and the pursuit in Lenzerheide behind Shevchenko and will look to take advantage of her high target accuracy from last season of 90 per cent in a bid to win a world title.

Switzerland's Amy Baserga won just a bronze medal in the individual event in 2020, but also won the IBU Junior Cup that season, while overall bronze medallist from that season, Paula Botet of France, also returns.

Youth pursuit world champion Anna Gandler of Austria moves up to junior level, while Italy's Rebecca Passler, who was an individual youth silver medallist last year, is also set to compete at the older age group.

Last season's men's IBU Junior Cup champion Niklas Hartweg of Switzerland already has some IBU World Cup starts under his belt and starts as one of the favourites considering his experience at the senior level.

Two-time youth world champion Alex Cisar of Slovenia spent the 2020 World Championships adapting to the junior level, where he won a bronze medal in the pursuit. 

France's best hope will be Emilien Claude, who spent most of last season on the IBU Cup pursuit, while Germany's junior pursuit world champion Danilo Riethmüller returns to defend his title.

The World Championships are scheduled to start tomorrow, and are due to run until March 6.