Action will begin with two days of qualification competition at the Arena Leipzig before the first finals take place on Friday (July 21).

Russia were the dominant nation at Rio 2016 after winning four gold medals as well as a silver and a bronze.

This included an all-Russian final in the women's sabre between Sofiya Velikaya and eventual winner Yana Egorian.

The duo also claimed team gold.

Other victors were the men's team foil squad and Inna Deriglazova in the women's individual foil.

Other reigning Olympic champions due to compete are Hungarians Emese Szász in the women's epée and Áron Szilágyi in the men's sabre.

They are joined by South Korea's Park Sang-young in the men's epée and Italy's Daniele Garozzo in the men's foil.

Competition is scheduled to begin tomorrow with elimination rounds up until the final 64 stage in the men's sabre, women's foil and men's epée events.

Opening stages will then take place in the women's sabre and epée and men's foil on Thursday (July 20).

The Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday before finals in the men's sabre and women's foil events. 

Competition will then continue until Wednesday (July 26).

Around 1,000 athletes and officials from 118 countries are expected to take part in the Championships.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, an Olympic team foil fencing champion for West Germany at the Montreal 1976, is also expected to attend.

It will mark the first full World Championships for two years after only the men's team sabre and women's team foil events, which were not included on the Olympic programme, featured at last year's edition in Rio de Janeiro.

All 12 fencing individual and team events will be included at Tokyo 2020.