Everything you need to know about the 2019 Summer Universiade

Sixty years after Turin hosted the inaugural Summer Universiade, Italy will once again showcase the world's best university student-athletes as Naples stages the 30th Summer Universiade, sometimes known as the 'World University Games'.

Russian gymnasts Aleksandra Soldatova (rhythmic gymnastics world champion) and Ivan Stretovich (artistic gymnastics team Olympic silver medallist) are among the bigger names taking part in Italy.

Over 8,000 participants (including coaches and officials) are expected in total at the Games, which officially runs from 3-14 July although there are early qualification rounds on the 2nd.

Many of the student-athletes will be looking to kick-start their athletic careers with a view to Tokyo 2020, but some are already Olympic and World Championship medallists in their own right.

Some 22 years after Italy last organised the event in Sicily in 1997, 5971 athletes from 112 countries will compete in 222 events across 18 sports.

You can watch and follow the action right here on Olympic Channel (click here to check whether there are restrictions in your region), but read on for our full preview of the event.

Teams and athletes to look out for at the Napoli Summer Universiade

Unsurprisingly, hosts Italy have the biggest delegation in Naples. Traditional powerhouses like Japan, Russia, and USA are also among the five largest teams in southern Italy. At the other extreme, Monaco is sending just one athlete to the Games.

Saudi Arabia is sending female student-athletes to a Universiade for the first time, while Kosovo is making its Universiade debut.

They will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa (2013; Rio 2016) and Italy's Federica Pellegrini (2007; Beijing 2008) who won Universiade medals before going on to clinch Olympic gold.

There are a number of Rio 2016 Olympians hoping to taste victory in Naples ahead of next year's big test in Tokyo.

Swimmers are well represented with Italy's Sara Franceschi and Alessia Polieri, and Britain's two-time Olympian Craig Benson - a European champion in 2016 as part of GB's 4×100m mixed medley relay team - in Naples.

Five-time Universiade shooting medallist Najmeh Khedmati of Iran, and Gambian judoka Faye Njie are other athletes in Naples who competed in Brazil in 2016.

Additionally, Soldatova leads Russia's rhythmic gymnastics charge, while Stretovich and 2010 team world champion Tatiana Nabieva – returning to competition after a two-year break – will front the Russian men and women's artistic gymnastics hopes.

The home fans, meanwhile, will have two-time Olympian Carlotta Ferlito to cheer on in artistic gymnastics.

Summer Universiade 2019 in Napoli: Interesting facts

The Universiade Opening Ceremony will take place on 3 July at Naples' Stadio San Paolo, which is also home to the SSC Napoli football team. Some 1,500 performers are expected to be involved in the show.

Competitions starts the day before, on Tuesday 2 July, with qualification heats in diving, football, and water polo.

The Closing Ceremony will be on 14 July.

The Games' theme song, Glory, an English–Neapolitan mix of pop and rap, was written by Stefano Gargiulo and will also be performed at the ceremony.

Marco Balich has been named the creative director of the Opening Ceremony. Balich previously worked on the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics ceremonies, and was also involved with the presentation video of the successful Milano–Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 candidature.

Nearly 4,000 athletes and officials will be housed on board two cruise ships moored in the port of Naples. The ships have been converted for use as the Athletes' Village, with everything from gyms to running tracks provided on board.

As befits a nation so proud of its food, the organisers have promised that bread and mozzarella will be made fresh aboard, in addition to other Neapolitan favourites like ragù.

With 18 sports on the schedule, some more traditional events at the Olympics will not be contested in Italy. For example, the longest athletics race will be the half-marathon, in place of a full marathon.

There is also new technology on display for the taekwondo competitions with electronic sensors installed in athletes' socks to register scoring kicks automatically. The socks were tested in World Taekwondo's recent Rome Grand Prix.

How to get your ticket to the Summer Universiade

Tickets for the 2019 Summer Universiade are available relatively cheaply and can be bought in person in selected towns, by phone, as well as online. Reduced price and free tickets (as listed below) can be collected from ticket offices at venues.

Children under 10 or who are shorter than 1m will receive free entry.

All sports sessions involving qualifiers will cost 3 euros (3.40 US$) for adults with children under 18, seniors over 65, university students, and the military getting in for free.

Sports sessions involving finals will cost 5 euros (5.67 US$) for adults and 3 euros (3.40 US$) for concessions. Family tickets (for two adults and two children under 18) are available for 14 euros (15.87 US$).

'Season tickets' are also available for all sessions in selected sports.

The Opening Ceremony costs 5 or 15 euros (5.67 or 17 US$) for adults and 3 or 5 Euros (3.40 or 5.67 US$) for people in the reduced price groups, depending on where the tickets are located. A family ticket costs 36 euros (40.80 US$).

The Closing Ceremony is free to the public.

2019 Summer Universiade schedule - watch it live on Olympic Channel

Click below to reveal the timings for each day.

All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2). Geo-restrictions may apply. Schedule is subject to change.

(Click here for the live-streaming schedule in full on the FISU website if the day-by-day schedule above does not load properly.)