Yun had appeared virtually certain to end Dukurs' eight-year winning run after winning five of this season's seven events so far.

But the IBSF have announced that he will withdraw from the final event in order to prepare for next month's Winter Olympics on his home track in Pyeongchang. 

Dukurs consequently requires only a finish of 13th or better to retain his crown.

Russian sliders also skipped the final World Cup event four years ago in order to prepare for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

It has since been claimed, though, that this was as much an attempt to mask doping as to familiarise themselves with their home track.

Germany's Jacqueline Lölling is poised to successfully defend her women's skeleton World Cup crown as she requires only a top 10 finish to guarantee victory.

Canada's Elisabeth Vathje is her closest rival, 85 points adrift.

Canada will also hope for success in men and women's bobsleigh events over the weekend.

Kaillee Humphries' Canadian sled has a slender 30-point lead over American world champion Elana Mayers-Taylor heading into the final race on the women's two-person side.

Justin Kripps of Canada has 152-point lead over the sled driven by defending World Cup title holder Francesco Friedrich in the men's two-man event.

A sled piloted by German world champion Johannes Lochner requires only a 21st place finish to win the four-man event in front of his home crowd.