BERLIN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) held the draw for the 2019 Gymnastics World Championships on Tuesday and revealed the starting order of the competition to be held in Stuttgart, Germany from October 4 to 13.
The Stuttgart Worlds have already seen record participation, with 93 federations registering to send entrants to compete at the city's Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.
The random draw determines the competition order for the gymnasts and teams in the qualification and apparatus finals. The order for the team and all-round finals will be seeded based on the qualification results.
On October 4, women's teams from Australia and Ukraine will lead off the competition, having been drawn in the first of 12 subdivisions of the women's qualification, along with two mixed groups.
World and Olympic bronze medalists China will compete in Subdivision 6, followed in Subdivision 7 by Britain, bronze medalists at the 2015 World Championships.
Russia, the runner-up at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and the 2018 World Championships in Doha, drew Subdivision 10. The U.S. women, the reigning world and Olympic champions, drew the 12th and final subdivision on 5 October.
The men's qualification competition kicks off on October 6, with teams from Italy, Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan competing in the first of eight subdivisions.
The Russian men, silver medalists in Doha and Rio, were drawn in Subdivision 3. Japan, the reigning Olympic champions and bronze medalists from Doha, will share the floor with the U.S. men in Subdivision 5.
Defending champions China, bronze medalists in Rio, will take to the floor in Subdivision 6, while Subdivision 7 features Britain, silver medalists from Glasgow 2015.
Stuttgart is preparing to host the competition for a record third time, after previously doing so in 1989 and 2007. Germany also staged the Gymnastics World Championships in Dortmund in 1966 and 1994.
