Ledecky leads US charge at worlds but faces big test in opening race

FUKUOKA, Japan : The United States will look to continue their dominance when the swimming events at the World Aquatics Championships get underway in the Japanese city of Fukuoka on Sunday, with Australia also aiming to lay down a marker before next year's Paris Olympics.

The Americans claimed 17 gold medals out of a table-topping total of 45 in the previous edition last year in Budapest, with Australia well behind as the next most successful team bagging six gold out of 17 medals overall.

Seven-times Olympic champion Katie Ledecky will again lead the U.S. charge, but Australia will fancy their chances with a star-studded team that includes the likes of Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers.

"I'm excited about this team," Australia head coach Rohan Taylor said last month. "We've got a great mix of experienced campaigners and some young blood coming through.

"These world championships are such an important stepping stone in what is a big 12 months before the Paris Olympics."

The opening night features a battle royale for the women's 400 metres freestyle title with defending world champion Ledecky and reigning Olympic champion Titmus going against each other for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics.

But the pair could well find themselves overshadowed by 16-year-old Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh, who shattered the world record held by Titmus with a scorching time of three minutes, 56.08 seconds at her national trials in March.

Sunday's appetiser and a potential showdown between the trio in Paris next year is already beginning to generate "race of the century" hype, 20 years after Ian Thorpe beat Pieter van den Hoogenband and Michael Phelps at the 2004 Athens Games.

"It feels pretty similar," said