The representatives of seven different countries occupy the top ten places at the end of the first two sessions of the qualifying competition in the Mixed Pairs Championship.

The French pairing comprising former winner Jean-Christophe Quantin, and Fabienne Piggaud, are at the top of the table, and they have a decent lead over the second placed pair, Italy's Mariani Carlo and Monica Buratti.

Third place is occupied a pair from Poland, Stan Golebiowski and Joann Zalewska. There are some big names lurking a little further down the list, but by the same token one or two of the favourites have something to do if they are to survive today's cut.

They include the reigning World Champions, Antonio Vivaldi and Enza Rossano, the Auken's, Anton Maas-Bep Vriend and Sylvie Willard and Gerard Tissot.