Lillehammer will host the opening leg of the second Women's Nordic Combined World Cup season ©Getty Images

The second International Ski Federation (FIS) Women's Nordic Combined World Cup season is due to begin in Lillehammer tomorrow.

The Norwegian town, which hosted the 1994 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, is staging back-to-back World Cups to open the women's campaign.

This season is only the second to feature a Nordic Combined World Cup circuit for women.

The women's World Cup series is set to visit six countries in 2021-2022, culminating in finals in Schonach in Germany in March.

Only one event was possible in the inaugural campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 10 Nordic Combined World Cup legs are scheduled to be held for women in the 2021-2022 season.

Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber will bid to continue his superb start to the season during the men's competitions in Lillehammer ©Getty Images
Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber will bid to continue his superb start to the season during the men's competitions in Lillehammer ©Getty Images

The FIS has hailed the World Cup schedule as a significant step towards gender equality in the discipline.

Only men's Nordic combined events will be held at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, but FIS Nordic combined race director Lasse Ottesen claimed in April that he expects a women's event to be included at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in February featured a women's individual Nordic combined event for the first time.

Competitions for men will also be held in Lillehammer this weekend.

Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber, the reigning world champion, claimed the Ruka Tour title in Finland last weekend after winning two of the three World Cup events and will aim to continue his strong start to the campaign.