Australia to make show of strength at Olympic trials

MELBOURNE : The eyes of the swimming world will be fixed on the Brisbane Aquatic Centre from Monday as Australia's roster of Olympic and world champions battle at national trials for tickets to the Paris Games.

With nine golds among 21 medals, Australia claimed its biggest Olympic swimming haul at the Tokyo Games, finishing a close second to the United States (11 golds, 30 medals).

Three years on, the Australians are aiming higher, with a contingent of formidable women again leading the way.

Many in the Brisbane pool will be familiar names, including Tokyo heroes Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus and Kaylee McKeown, who won six individual gold medals between them.

Zac Stubblety-Cook will also feature at the trials as he looks to book his Olympic title defence in the men's 200 metres breaststroke.

However, some among the old guard will be wary of the young and hungry talent determined to stake their claim.

Rampaging redhead Mollie O'Callaghan may be the chief disruptor of the meet and first picked from a brilliant crop of sprinters.

At 17, O'Callaghan emerged from Tokyo with two relay gold medals and a bronze but will eye bigger prizes in Paris if all goes smoothly in Brisbane.

She is set for a showdown with Olympic 200 metres freestyle champion Titmus after beating her for the world title in Fukuoka last year in a world record time (one minute 52.85 seconds).

Also the 100m freestyle winner at Fukuoka, O'Callaghan will lock horns with Olympic champion McKeon in the shorter sprint along with Shayna Jack, who is desperate to nail a Paris spot after missing Tokyo for a doping ban.

The women's 100m freestyle may see the fiercest competition as swimmers jostle to make the team that defends the 4x100m relay title at Paris.

Timekeepers will be