Double injury blow for Dolphins, Molo in frame

Australia's swim coach predicts changing of the guard

West Australian

28 minutes ago

West Australian

Australia's swim coach predicts changing of the guard

Australian swimming is on the cusp of a changing of the guard as emerging talents surface to replace absent icons at the world championship selection meet. And the prospect excites the Dolphins' head coach Rohan Taylor, who expects a batch of young swimmers to shine at the selection trials starting on Monday in Adelaide. Taylor expects the meet to produce an Australian team of about 44 swimmers for the July 27-August 3 world titles in Singapore. "In some events there will be a changing of the guard," Taylor said. "The inevitability is that some people vacated an event and we're looking for the young ones to jump up ... it's going to be exciting to see. "You will see some shifts in, some newness, and that's usually the case year one after the Olympic Games." After last year's Paris Games, Australia's most successful Olympian Emma McKeon retired with a collection of 14 Olympic medals featuring six gold. Other Dolphins stalwarts including Mitch Larkin, Bronte Campbell, Madi Wilson, Brianna Throssell and Jenna Strauch have also quit. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus - who on Sunday lost her women's 400m freestyle world record to Canadian ace Summer McIntosh - will also skip this year's worlds while on an extended post-Olympic break. "Tokyo (Olympics) to Paris was a bit different because everybody was 'well, it's only three years, so we'll stay in'," Taylor said of the three-year gap between the 2021 Games in Japan to last year's sporting showpiece in France. "Now we have had obviously some senior athletes retire with glittering careers and well deserved - but the next opportunity pops up." While some have gone, many established stars remain, including Kyle Chalmers, Mollie O'Callaghan, Cameron McEvoy and Kaylee McKeown, who opens her campaign at the trials on Monday in the 50m backstroke. "There's certain people that are going to need to be at their best here to get on to the team," Taylor said. "There will be some that need to swim their best here, and there will be some that will be waiting for worlds, so it will be a bit of a mixed bag. "My expectation is that whatever they do here at trials, they go either faster or the same time at worlds. "That is what I'm looking for, I just want to see consistency and repeatability in performances. "This is year one on the way to LA (2028 Los Angeles Olympics). We're hoping that we're at our best in LA - that's our plan."

Perth Now

40 minutes ago

Perth Now

Australia's swim coach predicts changing of the guard

Australian swimming is on the cusp of a changing of the guard as emerging talents surface to replace absent icons at the world championship selection meet. And the prospect excites the Dolphins' head coach Rohan Taylor, who expects a batch of young swimmers to shine at the selection trials starting on Monday in Adelaide. Taylor expects the meet to produce an Australian team of about 44 swimmers for the July 27-August 3 world titles in Singapore. "In some events there will be a changing of the guard," Taylor said. "The inevitability is that some people vacated an event and we're looking for the young ones to jump up ... it's going to be exciting to see. "You will see some shifts in, some newness, and that's usually the case year one after the Olympic Games." After last year's Paris Games, Australia's most successful Olympian Emma McKeon retired with a collection of 14 Olympic medals featuring six gold. Other Dolphins stalwarts including Mitch Larkin, Bronte Campbell, Madi Wilson, Brianna Throssell and Jenna Strauch have also quit. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus - who on Sunday lost her women's 400m freestyle world record to Canadian ace Summer McIntosh - will also skip this year's worlds while on an extended post-Olympic break. "Tokyo (Olympics) to Paris was a bit different because everybody was 'well, it's only three years, so we'll stay in'," Taylor said of the three-year gap between the 2021 Games in Japan to last year's sporting showpiece in France. "Now we have had obviously some senior athletes retire with glittering careers and well deserved - but the next opportunity pops up." While some have gone, many established stars remain, including Kyle Chalmers, Mollie O'Callaghan, Cameron McEvoy and Kaylee McKeown, who opens her campaign at the trials on Monday in the 50m backstroke. "There's certain people that are going to need to be at their best here to get on to the team," Taylor said. "There will be some that need to swim their best here, and there will be some that will be waiting for worlds, so it will be a bit of a mixed bag. "My expectation is that whatever they do here at trials, they go either faster or the same time at worlds. "That is what I'm looking for, I just want to see consistency and repeatability in performances. "This is year one on the way to LA (2028 Los Angeles Olympics). We're hoping that we're at our best in LA - that's our plan."