Arber in Germany is set to stage the IBU Open European Championships ©IBU

Arber in Germany is set to host the International Biathlon Union (IBU) Open European Championships this week, the last major event in the sport before the 2022 Winter Olympic Games open in Beijing next week.

Competition at the German venue is due to begin tomorrow and scheduled to conclude on Sunday (January 30).

Individual overall titles on the IBU's second-tier Cup circuit will be up for grabs, as well as European titles at the event.

Norway’s Marthe Krakstad Johansen has a two-point lead over Russia’s Evgeniia Burtasova in the race for the women's IBU Cup crystal globe.

"I am not thinking about being the leader at all," said Burtasova. 

"Every time I am in the start I just try to do the maximum. 

"Of course, for the Open European Championships I have the goal to show my maximum result."

Justus Strelow of Germany has a healthy advantage on the men's leaderboard and is on course to clinch the title as his two main rivals, Endre Stroemsheim of Norway and compatriot David Zobel, are not competing in Arber.

The men's and women's individual events are due to take place tomorrow, before competition resumes on Friday (January 28) with the men's and women's sprints following a rest day on Thursday (January 27).

The pursuits are scheduled for Saturday (January 29), with the Championships then scheduled to end with the relays on Sunday.