Top-level acrobatic gymnastics is set to return in Sofia this weekend ©Getty Images

Acrobatic gymnasts are set to compete at their first World Cup event for more than a year in Sofia this weekend.

The competition in the Bulgarian capital is due to begin tomorrow and conclude on Sunday (April 25).

It will be the first World Cup to be staged since the COVID-19 pandemic ground the sport to a halt.

The World Cup will offer athletes the chance to hone their preparations prior to the rescheduled Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Geneva in June.

Russia's Daria Chebulanka is the only world champion set to compete at the World Cup, although the field also includes Lise de Meyst, a member of the Belgian women's group that won the silver medal at the 2018 World Championships.

Athletes are set to use the event to help with their preparations for June's rescheduled World Championships ©Getty Images
Athletes are set to use the event to help with their preparations for June's rescheduled World Championships ©Getty Images

"Considering the circumstances, we’re just happy to be on the floor again," said De Meyst.

"I’m eager to feel the thrill of competing and show everyone that we’ve been working for the past several months."

Qualification will be the focus of the first two days of the World Cup in Sofia, with finals scheduled for Sunday.

The World Championships had been due to take place in the Swiss city last May before being postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is now set to run from June 18 to 20.