The competition starts tomorrow in Tashkent, the Uzbekistan capital, and runs until December 17.

Among the 432 entries there are potential champions from nations that have not featured near the top of the medals table in recent years or, in some cases, ever.

Australia has one of the strongest favourites in Eileen Cikamatana, who was not eligible for Tokyo because of a nationality switch.

Cikamatana, who has claimed three junior world records since moving to Australia from Fiji, has a higher entry total in the 81 kilograms class, 260kg, than anybody competing in the heavier 87kg category.

She prepared for Tashkent at a training camp in Italy, and will be expecting to win Australia's first World Championships gold since Dean Lukin in 1984, and the first ever for a female lifter.

"It's been a long wait, 40 years, but I’m looking forward to it," said Paul Coffa, who coached Lukin and now coaches Cikamatana.

Two athletes who came agonisingly close to winning Olympic medals in Tokyo, from Albania and Mongolia, also have good chances.

Briken Calja, who was within 1kg of third place in Tokyo, is aiming to become his nation’s first world champion in the 73kg.

Albania also has a good chance with Evagjelia Veli, who has never won a medal in her career but has the highest entry total at 55kg.

The 22-year-old Mongolian Ankhtsetseg Munkhjantsan was in tears in Tokyo when she failed with a final attempt that would have won her the bronze medal at 87kg.

She has the same entry total, 255kg, as the Russian Dariia Akhmerova.

Emily Campbell, who was second in Tokyo, is vying to become Britain’s first female world champion in the super-heavyweights when she renews rivalry with Sarah Robles of the United States, who was third in the Olympic games.

They face strong rivals from Thailand and South Korea, another nation with several serious medal contenders.

One of the few reigning world champions competing in Tashkent is Turkey’s Saziye Erdogan at 45kg, in which she is likely to face a strong challenge from Manuela Berrio of Colombia.

As ever, Colombia has a very strong team and could win plenty of medals.

There is a fascinating head-to-head in the men’s 67kg between Francisco Mosquera and Luis Mosquera, who finished in that order in a Colombian one-two at the Pan American Championships last month.

That contest also features the best Pakistani weightlifter in decades, Talha Talib, and one of host nation Uzbekistan’s many medal contenders, Doston Yokubov.

Colombia and Uzbekistan also feature in two of the most intriguing contests of the World championships, the men’s 81kg and 109kg.

Brayan Rodallegas heads the entries on 365kg for Colombia but there is, remarkably, only 8kg between the highest entry and lowest entry from the 10 lifters in the A group.

Mohamed Ehab, back after Egypt’s suspension, and the phenomenal Bulgarian teenager Karlos Nasar are expected to do well.

Qatar’s Meso Hassona, one of the Olympic champions in action in Tashkent, and the 2019 89kg world champion Hakob Mkrtchyan of Armenia are among the favourites at 96kg, where the Kazakhstan youngster Artyom Antropov is one to watch.

The one contest the locals will want to see is the men’s 109kg in which Uzbekistan’s Olympic champion Akbar Djuraev goes up against two world record-holders, his compatriot Ruslan Nurudinov - clean and jerk - and Armenia’s Simon Martirosyan - total - who was second in Tokyo.

All three men have an entry total of 425kg.

Lasha Talakhadze is, as usual, a hot favourite in the super-heavyweights, which will feature his nearest rival Gor Minasyan and another strong contender from Armenia, 22-year-old Varazdat Lalayan.