The Championships, set to run until next Sunday (October 25) are taking place in an Olympic year for the first time in more than two-and-a-half decades after the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games to 2021.

Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, Japan's Daiki Hashimoto, Shin Jeah-wan of South Korea, and Angelina Melnikova and Vladislava Urazova - who will compete as part of the Russian Gymnastics Federation team under the country's doping sanctions - are the five Tokyo 2020 gold medallists who are set to be in action in Kitakyushu.

Japanese star and three-time Olympic champion Kōhei Uchimura, who was born in the city, is among the other top names to have entered the event.

Countries including China, who topped the artistic gymnastics medal table at Tokyo 2020, have opted to send second-tier teams.

The United States will be without Simone Biles, who withdrew from all-but one of her competitions at Tokyo 2020 after suffering a case of the "twisties".

Biles later said she should have quit the sport "way before" the Olympics because of struggles with mental health.

Athletes are set to participate in front of spectators after organisers and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) allowed for socially-distanced crowds to attend the Championships.

The Japanese Government also scrapped COVID-19 quarantine requirements for athletes and officials taking part in the event, as exclusively revealed by insidethegames in August.

"This event is nearly unparalleled in gymnastics," said FIG President Morinari Watanabe.

"Not for 25 years has a World Championships been held in an Olympic year. 

"Japan is thrilled to welcome back the Olympic stars as well as the talented newcomers who will battle for the titles."