Uchimura aiming to continue dominance at Artistic Gymnastics World Championships

Kōhei Uchimura of Japan will bid for his sixth all-around title in Glasgow ©FIG

Japanese star Kōhei Uchimura will bid for a sixth consecutive men’s all-around title when the 2015 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships get underway in Glasgow on Friday (October 23).

The 26-year-old is already considered one of the all-time greats and has reigned supreme in every all-around competition since 2009.

Uchimura also took gold in the event at the London 2012 Olympic Games and has a total of 16 World Championships medals.

He will be the one to beat once again when the Championships come to the SSE Hydro, which also staged gymnastics events at last year's Commonwealth Games.

London 2012 rings gold medallist Arthur Zanetti of Brazil, Olympic pommel horse champion Krisztian Berki of Hungary and The Netherlands' reigning world and Olympic horizontal bar champion Epke Zonderland will also be in action at the event which is due to finish on November 1.

In the women’s competition, 18-year-old Simone Biles of the United States will attempt to enter the record books by becoming the first female to win three consecutive World Championship all-around titles.

Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina has won three crowns in the event but did not achieve the feat in successive years as she took gold in 1997, 2001 and 2003.

American Simone Biles is aiming to make history by becoming the first woman to win three consecutive all-around titles at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, which are due to open in Glasgow later this week ©Getty Images

As well as world titles, the 594 athletes, who will be representing 87 countries, will also be vying for Olympic berths as the event in Glasgow doubles as the first of two Rio 2016 qualification competitions.

The women’s qualification is due to take place on Saturday (October 24) with the men’s scheduled for the following Monday (October 26), where the top eight teams will secure the right to send five gymnasts to compete in the team event at next summer's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Those countries who finish between ninth and 16th place will get a second chance of earning an Olympic spot at the Rio 2016 test event from April 16 to 19.

“We all know that organising a World Championships takes an incredible amount of resources and energy,” said International Gymnastics Federation Women’s Technical Committee President Nellie Kim, a five-time Olympic gold medallist.

“Glasgow has surpassed our expectations, and I would like to extend my thanks to the Organising Committee.

“Every little detail of these Championships is truly impressive, and I am sure that the experience, the effort and the wisdom put into the process of preparation will lead us all to a truly unique event.”