The pair head the men's and women's leaderboards, respectively, after seven legs of the season which has been building up to the finale in the Swiss Olympic capital.

Triathlon does not hold a standalone World Championship, with the sport's global winners named only after the completion of the WTS circuit.

Extra points are awarded in the final, with 1,250 for a race victory instead of the usual 1,000.

This means that six men still have a chance of winning the men's title, despite Luis boasting a lead of nearly 400 points.

The Frenchman, who won the Yokohama leg of this season's WTS as well as the last two Grand Finals, is hoping for a first world title.

He was second in the overall rankings behind Mario Mola last year and the Spaniard is again his biggest rival as he bids to be crowned champion for the fourth time in a row.

Mola won in Abu Dhabi this term and is 397 points behind Luis. 

Two more Spaniards are also in the mix, with Javier Gomez Noya, a five-time world champion, 493 points adrift of the leader.

Fernando Alarza is among a trio who have an outside chance of success as he trails Luis by 855 points, while Australia's Jacob Birtwhistle and Belgium's Martin van Riel are 925 and 1,191 behind, respectively.

The points awarded at the Grand Final decrease by 7.5 per cent for every place.

It means if Luis finishes lower than fifth then Mola can take the title with victory.

Gomez would need Luis to come eighth or lower and for Mola to finish third.

Four athletes are in contention for women's glory, but Zaferes is the big favourite as she is 755 points in front of Britain's Jessica Learmonth.

Like Luis, the American is looking to step-up from second overall last year to claim a maiden world title.

She started the season superbly with consecutive victories in Abu Dhabi, Bermuda and Yokohama and was also victorious in Montreal.

Learmonth has enjoyed a consistent season but has no victories, and needs to win in Lausanne and hope Zaferes finishes down in 13th.

Britain's Georgia Taylor-Brown, who won her home Leeds leg of the WTS, is 804 points adrift of top spot.

She requires a victory and Zaferes finishing 15th to clinch the title, as well as Learmonth slipping up.

Taylor Spivey of the US is 944 points behind her compatriot in fourth place and would need several results to go her way to win the world title.

The course in Lausanne includes a 1.5 kilometre swim in Lake Geneva, then a 40km bike ride which features two sharp climbs.

The 10km run passes the grandstands three times before heading towards the finish line.

Junior and under-23 races will be held on day one of the Grand Final tomorrow, before the elite men and women take to the course on Saturday (August 31).

More age-group races and Paratriathlon will conclude the event on Sunday (September 1).