Australia head to world championships excited after positive trials

MELBOURNE : Australia's swim team head to next month's world championships in Fukuoka with confidence after setting a number of eye-catching times at national trials in Melbourne.

The meeting wrapped up on Sunday with veteran sprinter Cameron McEvoy posting a year-best 21.27 seconds in the 50m freestyle heats before easily winning the final in 21.41 ahead of Thomas Nowakowski.

The rejuvenated 29-year-old punched his ticket for Fukuoka to join a star-studded team of 38 which boasts Olympic champions Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown and Emma McKeon.

"I’m excited about this team," 'Dolphins' head coach Rohan Taylor told reporters.

"We've got a great mix of experienced campaigners and some young blood coming through.

"These world championships are such an important stepping stone in what is a big 12 months before the Paris Olympics."

Propelled by a powerful women's contingent, Australia's swimmers won a national record 21 medals, including nine gold, at the Tokyo Olympics, second only to the United States' haul of 30 medals.

Matching that performance at Paris will be a huge challenge but Australia's production line of elite female swimmers looks in great working order.

Teenage 100m freestyle world champion Mollie O'Callaghan underlined that as she edged five-times Olympic champion McKeon in a thrilling duel to post the year's fastest time (52.48) in the blue riband event.

Earlier in the week, the 19-year-old Queenslander upset Olympic champion Titmus to win the 200m freestyle.

With huge depth in the 100 free, Australia's women will be fancied to win back-to-back world titles in the 4x100 relay and push for the medley relay gold after their runner-up finish at last year's world championships in Budapest.

McKeown, the 100m and 200m