Austria's Marco Schwarz, right, is a World Championship bronze medallist in slalom and leads this season's World Cup standings in the discipline ©Getty Images

Marco Schwarz of Austria will seek to retain his lead in the overall slalom standings in this season’s Alpine Ski World Cup when a weekend of competition starts tomorrow on the slopes of Chamonix.

For three-time world gold medallist Schwarz and his rivals this will be the last opportunity to compete before the International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine World Ski Championships, which are set to be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy from February 9 to 21.

On Tuesday (January 26), the 25-year-old from Villach, who won team silver at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, secured his second FIS Alpine Ski World Cup victory of the season at the famous night slalom on home snow at Schladming.

Schwarz won ahead of second-placed Frenchman Clement Noël, while third place enabled France’s Alexis Pinturault to extend his lead in the overall World Cup standings.

All six of Schwarz's podiums this season have come in slalom races.

Marco Schwarz will seek to maintain his lead in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup slalom standings in two races at Chamonix over the weekend ©Getty Images
Marco Schwarz will seek to maintain his lead in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup slalom standings in two races at Chamonix over the weekend ©Getty Images

Schwarz leads the slalom standings on 489 points, 131 clear of Norway's Sebastian Foss-Solevåg in second and Austria’s Manuel Feller third on 324.

Slalom races are timetabled for tomorrow and the following day in Chamonix.

After that, the final two slalom races scheduled for this season’s World Cup are at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia on March 14 and Lenzerheide in Switzerland on March 21.