Two-time under-23 world champion Grigar, who made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, will be aiming for a third consecutive K1 title but is likely to face plenty of stiff competition at the Ivrea Canoe Club.

Austria’s Felix Oschmautz, the 2017 K1 junior world champion, is a consistently strong performer in senior World Cup competitions along with the likes of Britain’s Bradley Forbes-Cryans and Australia’s Daniel Watkins.

The women’s K1 and C1 fields are expected to benefit from the absence of Australia’s Jessica Fox and Britain’s Mallory Franklin.

Fox, in particular, has dominated the age competitions for several years before turning 24 this year.

Woods has won two senior European C1 titles, but is yet to win an under-23 or junior world crown.

The 22-year-old is one of several women who will be contesting both the K1 and C1 events in Ivrea.

Others likely to push for medals include Austria’s Nadine Weratschnig, Brazil’s Ana Sátila and the younger of the Fox sisters, Noemie.

In the women’s C1, Czech Republic’s Tereza Fišerová, a silver medallist at last year’s senior World Championships, is expected to put in a strong performance after several impressive World Cup showings this year.

Fellow Czech Lukáš Rohan and Frenchman Cédric Joly head a solid men’s under-23 C1 field.

Rohan and Joly, together with Australia’s Watkins, have already shown good form at the opening World Cup events.

The best of the local contenders could be Raffaello Ivaldi, a World Cup medallist who is very familiar with the Ivrea course.

The 2018 ICF Under-23 and Junior Canoe Slalom World Championships are due to run through to Sunday (July 22).

Tomorrow's schedule is made up of the eight team events.