The competition on the challenging Tacen course in Slovenia will be only the second major canoe slalom event to be held since the COVID-19 crisis ground sport across the world to a halt.

Some of the world's top athletes are expected to compete from tomorrow until Sunday (October 18), including recently-crowned double European champion Gabriela Satková of the Czech Republic.

Satková will be among the ones to watch in the women's C1 category, which is also set to feature two-time World Championships bronze medallist Nadine Weratschnig of Austria and European silver medallist Tereza Fiserova of the Czech Republic.

Double world champion and Olympic silver medallist Peter Kauzer of Slovenia will be the red-hot favourite in the men's K1.

Portugal’s Antoine Launay and Russia’s Pavel Eigel, seventh and ninth at last year’s World Championships, respectively, will be hoping to challenge Kauzer at his home event.

Reigning world champion Eva Tercelj is another strong Slovenian hope in the women's K1 as she bids to bounce back from a disappointing fourth at the European Championships in Prague last month.

Austria’s two-time world champion Corinna Kuhnle is also on the list of entrants, which does not include all of the top names in the world owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Benjamin Savšek will look to build on his European gold medal in the C1 category, where he will go up against Czech Lukas Rohan, silver medallist in Prague, and fellow Slovenian Luka Bozik, a bronze medallist at last year’s World Championships.

Qualification takes place tomorrow, with finals scheduled for Saturday (October 17) and Sunday.