Anne-Marie Rindom will bid to defend her title at the Laser Senior European Championships ©Getty Images

Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom will bid to defend her title at the Laser Senior European Championships, which begin tomorrow in Polish city Gdansk.

The 29-year-old triumphed in Porto last year and enters this year's competition as the world number one in the women's laser radial.

Rindom won the world title in 2015 and last year, as well as an Olympic bronze medal at Rio 2016.

A strong challenge can be expected from Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester, the four-time and reigning world champion and the Olympic gold medallist in Rio.

Bouwmeester is currently ranked fourth in the world.

Other contenders include world number two Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece, Dutch world silver medallist Maxime Jonker and world bronze medallist Line Flem Høst of Norway.

Former world champion Emma Plasschaert of Belgium and Ireland's Rio silver medallist Annalise Murphy are also part of a strong fleet.  

Lorenzo Chiavarini returns from injury in a bid to retain his title ©Getty Images
Lorenzo Chiavarini returns from injury in a bid to retain his title ©Getty Images

In the men's laser standard, Britain's defending champion Lorenzo Chiavarini enters and will compete for the first time since injuring his back in late 2019.

Competition will come from Germany's reigning world champion Philipp Buhl, who captured the global title in Melbourne earlier this year.

The world number one, two and three will also race with the rankings leader Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus, a former two-time world champion and an Olympic silver medallist at London 2012.

World number two Jesper Stalheim of Sweden will be joined by Croatia's world number three Tonči Stipanović, an Olympic silver medallist in Rio. 

Racing will continue through to October 13 with coronavirus restrictions in place.

The non-Olympic men's laser radial class is also being contested.