Australia’s swim team for the looming world championships will be half the size of this year’s record-breakers.
Swimming Australia’s head coach Rohan Taylor expects a Dolphins team of fewer than 20 at the world titles in Doha next February.
Australia sent 38 swimmers to this year’s worlds in Fukuoka, Japan, where the team collected 25 medals — a record for the nation at any world championships.
Australia’s women’s world 400 metres freestyle champ Ariarne Titmus will skip the Doha edition to focus on the Paris Olympics starting in late July.
Taylor expects others to follow suit ahead of team selection in mid-December.
“We have up to 20 spots we can fill, I don’t think we will get there, I think we will fall short,” Taylor said on Thursday.
“But that is because people may not value going there as part of their (Olympic) preparation.”
The Doha world titles, originally scheduled for this month, were delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Fukuoka edition to twice be postponed from its initial 2021 date.
Many of the world’s top swimmers will bypass Doha given the meet’s proximity to the Olympics.
“Before COVID, I would have said this (schedule) is crazy,” Taylor said.
“But last year, we had worlds and Commonwealth Games, world short course, and Duel in the Pool.
“There were athletes who swam all four competitions — Mollie O’Callaghan did, Kaylee McKeown did, and look where they are at now.
“If it’s valuable to the athlete and coach in getting international exposure, it can actually be an asset. It just really depends on where they are with their experience.”
The Doha world championships cram next year’s Australian swim calendar featuring national titles in April, Olympic selection trials in June, then the Paris Games.
“It’s doable — I wouldn’t prefer it, but that’s probably looking at things traditionally,” Taylor said.
“Would I recommend that we do it all the time? No, I wouldn’t.
“It’s more around the value of the world championships has gone down because there’s not going to be the whole world there, not a lot of people are going to go.
“So it’s actually a lesser competition as far as the depth of the world’s best there. But it’s still a world championships.”
Taylor was on Wednesday night crowned the Australian Institute of Sport’s coach of the year as swimming claimed six of the 13 annual awards.
He was humbled by his award, describing it as recognition for his leadership team, coaches and athletes.
“I have a good team around me that make me better,” he said.
“When you get recognised it’s a little bit more of a motivation to keep going, you know you’re on the right track.”
AAP