Aquatic acrobatics meet costume drama as the syncronised swimming contest gets underway at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, as documented in these amazing images.

Teams from around the world are showcasing their formidable talents at the city's Oriental Sports Center. With awesome power and grace, each group offers its own beautiful formation of moves - not to mention the incredible outfits - each one outdoing the next in terms of creativity and sheer stand-out appeal.

We've selected the highlights from day five of the competition, above and below. Which team gets your vote?

Picture credits: Getty Images

Synchronised swimmers storm Shanghai