The event will be held in Finland’s capital for the third time, having also taken place there in 1983 and 1999, and will see 193 skaters from 36 ISU members competing at the Hartwall Arena.

Reigning world and European men's singles champion Javier Fernández of Spain is up against a strong group of competitors who are looking to challenge for his title.

The United States’ Nathan Chen became the first skater to land five quadruple jumps in one programme at his National Championships in January and tops the season’s best list with 307.46 points, 12.62 more than Fernández.

Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, runner-up to Fernández at the past two World Championships, has a season’s best 303.71 points and is also expected to be in the medal hunt.

He will be joined by the likes of fellow Japanese Shoma Uno, the 2017 Four Continents bronze medallist, along with 2016 world bronze medallist Boyang Jin of China, three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada and 2014 Olympic bronze medallist Denis Ten of Kazakhstan.

In the women’s event, Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva will be aiming to make it back-to-back world titles.

The two-time European champion comes with a season’s best of 229.71 points, the highest total score achieved so far in ISU competition.

Among those expected to challenge her are 2016 world silver medallist Ashley Wagner of the US, who has a season’s best of 196.44 points, and fellow Russian Anna Pogorilaya, the 2016 world bronze medallist.

Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond and 2012 world champion Carolina Kostner of Italy are also likely to be contenders along with 2017 Four Continents gold and silver medallists Mai Mihara of Japan and Gabrielle Daleman of Canada and Russia’s Maria Sotskova.

Kostner returned to competition this season after serving a 21-month ban for being complicit in the cover-up of her former boyfriend and doping cheat Alex Schwazer.

The 30-year-old was initially suspended for 16 months in January 2015 for helping Beijing 2008 Olympic race walking champion Schwazer but her ban was later extended to 21 months. 

The pairs event, meanwhile, looks wide open with a solid group of contenders all capable of landing the title.

The two-time reigning world champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada will face double world silver medallists Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China and 2017 European champions Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia, whose season's best of 227.58 points is the top score of the season so far. 

This year's European silver medallists Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany and 2014 Olympic silver medallists Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia are likely to challenge for gold as well.

The battle for the podium could be fierce in the ice dance event as well.

Two-time reigning world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France are up against 2010 Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, who returned from a two-year-break to claim the titles at the ISU Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships earlier this season.

Virtue and Moir come to Helsinki with a season’s best of 197.22 points, the highest total score achieved in ISU competition, while Papadakis and Cizeron have scored 193.50.

Also with their eyes set on the podium are American pairings Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani and Madison Chock and Evan Bates, last year’s respective world silver and bronze medallists, as well as 2014 world champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy and 2016 European bronze medallists Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev of Russia. 

Skaters and couples need to have obtained a minimum total technical score in short programme and free skating in order to compete at the World Championships.

Tomorrow’s action is due to see the women’s and pairs short programme take centre stage.

This will be followed by the men’s short programme and pairs free skating on Thursday (March 30), short dance and women’s free skating on Friday (March 31) and men’s free skating and free dance on Saturday (April 1).

An Exhibition Gala, scheduled for Sunday (April 2), will bring an end to proceedings.