The 2017 World Championships in Montreal are just around the corner, and many are speculating about who will walk away with the coveted all-around gold medal this year. The year after the Olympics is always an interesting one at worlds -- without a team competition, the focus goes to the all-around title. Simone Biles was so dominant in years prior that she was almost expected to take home the gold medal every year.

This year, the field is wide open. Who will stand on the podium at the end is anyone's guess. Below are the gymnasts -- in no particular order -- who we consider to be the top 10 medal contenders.

1. LIU TINGTING (CHINA)

Most recent all-around score
54.700 (Chinese National Games - Team final, September 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Asian Championships, May 2017 - Gold medal - 56.800

Liu Tingting is a top contender for an all-around medal this year, especially with the boost her bars and beam scores give to her all-around score. At the 2017 Asian Championships, she notched a 6.6 D-score on beam, helping her secure the gold medal in the all-around competition. Her all-around score in that meet was a 56.800, which is up there with some of the best scores recorded this year. 

2. MORGAN HURD (USA)

Most recent all-around score
55.650 (P&G Championships Day 2, August 2017)
54.100 (P&G Championships Day 1, August 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Stuttgart World Cup, March 2017 - Bronze medal - 53.265

Morgan Hurd is a first-year senior for the U.S., and already boasts international experience after competing at this year's Stuttgart World Cup and City of Jesolo Trophy. In Stuttgart, Hurd captured the bronze medal, even after a fall on beam. She came back strong at P&Gs, but her most impressive performance came at the worlds selection camp, where she showed upgrades and solid routines on all four events. Check out one of the highlight reels provided by USA Gymnastics to see where her routines are right now.

Video via USA Gymnastics

3. ELENA EREMINA (RUSSIA)

Most recent all-around score
56.100 (Russian Cup, August 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Russian Cup, August 2017 - Silver medal - 56.100
DTB Pokal Team Challenge, March 2017 - Bronze medal - 52.850
Russian Championships, March 2017 - Silver medal - 52.366

Elena Eremina is one of Russia's top all-around gymnasts, and will almost certainly qualify into the all-around final at worlds this year. Her highest all-around score this year came recently at the Russian Cup, where she scored a 56.1 and won the silver medal. In the qualifying round, she did even better and notched a huge 57.9. Eremina's top-scoring event is definitely bars, where she won the silver medal at European Championships. Check out her routine below from Euros.

4. LUO HUAN (CHINA)

Most recent all-around score
53.900 (Chinese National Games - Team final, September 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Asian Championships, May 2017 - Silver medal - 55.700
Chinese Championships, May 2017 - Gold medal - 54.200

Luo Huan is China's second all-around competitor. Like her teammate, she will rely on bars and beam to boost her all-around score. Luo won the all-around title at Chinese Nationals earlier this year and won the bar title at the Asian Championships, where she also took the silver on beam and in the all-around. Her silver-medal performance was her highest all-around score in 2017, totaling a 55.7. At this competition, Luo's beam routine scored a 6.5 D-score, making it one of the more difficult routines being performed in the world at the moment.

5. MAI MURAKAMI (JAPAN)

Most recent all-around score
56.100 (All-Japan Student Championships, August 2017)

2017 All-around medals
All-Japan Student Championships, August 2017 - Silver medal - 56.100
NHK Trophy, May 2017 - Gold medal - 56.150
All-Japan Championships, April 2017 - Gold medal - 56.450

Mai Murakami is one of two all-around competitors for Japan, and will be competing in her fourth world championships for her country. Her key events are vault and floor, where she tends to score highest. Murakami has a couple of gold medals in the all-around to her name this year, including one from the NHK Trophy, where she totaled a 56.150, and one from All-Japan Championships, where she totaled a 56.450. Murakami has also been training an Amanar (she competed it in warm-ups at All-Japan Championships) so it will be interesting to see if she's been saving this to debut at worlds.

6. LARISA IORDACHE (ROMANIA)

Most recent all-around score
58.466 (Romanian Championships, September 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Romanian Championships, September 2017 - Gold medal - 58.466
Summer Universiade, August 2017 - Gold medal - 56.750

Larisa Iordache had a bit of a slow start to 2017, competing primarily on bars and beam internationally and not earning the typically high scores she was used to in previous years. That all changed this summer, when she started competing in the all-around once again, and she's proven that she is a definite contender for the medal at worlds. Iordache first competed all-around in August at Summer Universiade, where she won gold with a 56.750. Weeks later, she won the all-around title at Romanian Nationals, scoring an even higher 58.466. Iordache's best event is still beam, and she's capable of one of the highest D-scores in the world with a 6.5. She will be one to watch for a podium spot for sure. Check out her beam set from Euros earlier this year.

7. REBECA ANDRADE (BRAZIL)

Most recent all-around score
56.000 (City of Jesolo Trophy, April 2017)

2017 All-around medals
City of Jesolo Trophy, April 2017 - Silver medal - 56.000

Rebeca Andrade was out for part of 2017 with an injury, but fortunately she has recovered well enough to be one of two athletes Brazil is sending to Montreal. Her only all-around performance this year came at Jesolo, where she won the silver medal. Since then, she has actually upgraded her vault to an Amanar, which she competed at the Olympics last year. Assuming that her beam and floor are up to competition strength, she will likely qualify to the all-around final, particularly given the addition of her Amanar to boost her vault score.

8. ASUKA TERAMOTO (JAPAN)

Most recent all-around score
55.650 (Summer Universiade, August 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Summer Universiade, August 2017 - Silver medal - 55.650
All-Japan Student Championships, August 2017 - Gold medal - 56.800
NHK Trophy, May 2017 - Bronze medal - 54.900
American Cup, March 2017 - Silver medal - 54.231

Asuka Teramoto has four AA medals already this year, including a silver medal from American Cup back in March. Teramoto also won the bronze at NHK Trophy, gold at the All-Japan Student Championships, and silver at Summer Universiade last month. She is another veteran on the Japanese team, having competed for the country at 2011 worlds in her first year as a senior. She is consistent across all four events, but, like her teammate, is particularly skilled on vault and floor. Her best AA score this year was the 56.800 she scored at All-Japan Student Championships last month.

9. ANGELINA MELNIKOVA (RUSSIA)

Most recent all-around score
57.650 (Russian Cup, August 2017)

2017 All-around medals
Russian Cup, August 2017 - Gold medal - 57.650
Stuttgart World Cup, March 2017 - Silver medal - 53.732

Angelina Melnikova has improved tremendously over the past year and has become one of the world's top all-around competitors. Not only is she likely to qualify to the all-around final at worlds, but she has a good shot at a medal as well. Most recently, Melnikova won the all-around gold medal at Russian Cup, scoring an impressive 57.65. She is consistent across all events and is capable of scoring well into the 14.0 range on all four. 

10. RAGAN SMITH (USA)

Most recent all-around score
57.850 (P&G Championships, August 2017)

2017 All-around medals
P&G Championships, August 2017 - Gold medal - 57.850
American Cup, March 2017 - Gold medal - 56.099

Ragan Smith is the most likely contender for an all-around medal from the USA. Although she has only competed in two all-around competitions this year, she has won the gold medal at both. Since winning gold at American Cup in March, she upgraded significantly -- especially on bars and beam -- giving her the potential to score highly on all four events. Smith will be in the hunt not just for a podium spot; she'll be looking to take home the gold medal, and she has a good chance of doing so.

Notable mentions:

Ellie Black, Canada
Eythora Thorsdottir, The Netherlands
Zsofia Kovacs, Hungary
Amy Tinkler, Great Britain
Tabea Alt, Germany
Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos, France
Giulia Steingruber, Switzerland

POLL: PICK THE WOMEN'S AA PODIUM

Related:
Meet The 2017 U.S. Women's World Championships Team
Complete Roster: 2017 World Championships
POLL: Predict The Women's All-Around Podium At 2017 World Championships
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Top 10 Senior Elite Bar Workers To Watch In 2017
Top 10 Senior Elite Beamers To Watch In 2017
Top 10 Senior Elite Floor Workers To Watch In 2017