Asutria's two-time Paralympic champion Markus Salcher will be one of the favourites for the gold medal in St Moritz ©Getty Images

The first event of the World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup is due to get underway in St Moritz tomorrow with several top skiers looking to set the pace for the rest of a season that culminates at next year's Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang. 

One of those skiers is two-time Paralympic champion Markus Salcher of Austria who claims he feels good going into the new season.

He will face strong competition from Arthur Bauchet from France.

Just 17 years old, Bauchet already has several medals to his name, including the double gold at the World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio earlier this year.

He also beat Salcher twice in super-G at the Pyeongchang 2018 test event in March.

Although Bauchet is clearly a talented athlete, Salcher says the pressure is on the Frenchman to be consistent over the next few years.

"He [Arthur] was very successful last season considering his age," said 26-year-old Salcher.

Japan's Yoshiko Tanaka will be among the leading names competing at the first event of the new World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup campaign in St. Moritz ©YouTube
Japan's Yoshiko Tanaka will be among the leading names competing at the first event of the new World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup campaign in St. Moritz ©YouTube

Salcher. added: "Now he has to show us that it is possible to do it this season again.

"He is incredibly fast for his age."

Another name to look out for is Jeroen Kampschreur from The Netherlands, a recent winner of the Europa Cup on home snow in Landgraaf.

In the women’s sitting event, Barbara van Bergen of The Netherlands and Japan’s Yoshiko Tanaka will be hoping to continue their good start to the season after their impressive performances in the Europa Cup.

Both riders finished in the top three of both races in Landgraaf.

The competition in St Moritz, the official training base for the Swiss Olympic team, is due to start tomorrow and conclude on Saturday (December 16). 

It will consist of standing, sitting, visually impaired races along with several super-G events taking place on the final day.

The event is set to be live streamed on the competition's website, the International Paralympic Committee’s YouTube channel and the World Para Alpine Skiing Facebook page.