You’d be forgiven for thinking in the build up to the Australian World Championship trials that the meet was more about who won’t be swimming than those who will be giving their all to book themselves a ticket on the plane to Montreal later in the year. The Australian press has been filled with a real feel of negativity leading into this meet, with even some of those swimming questioning their ability to make it all the way on to the team.

Firstly the shadow of Ian Thorpe looms large over this meet – even though he isn’t competing. With the Thorpedo taking a sabbatical from global competition this year the way has opened up for Grant Hackett to take a 400m-800m-1500m triple, both here and in Canada. The Queensland based Hackett is a shoe in to qualify in all three events, but the more interesting battles occur behind. Craig Stevens, most famous for not swimming the 400m in Athens, has been concentrating on the shorter event this season and will want to show people what he is really capable of. Then in the 1500m, Hackett’s training partner Kurtis MacGillivary, who has just recently switched allegiance to Australia from his native Canada, will be looking to make his first national team, having missed Athens after some strange selection decisions from the Canadian governing body.

But more than boosting Hackett’s profile at this meet, Thorpe’s absence, combined with that of relay stalwarts Ashley Callus, struggling with illness and injury, and Todd Pearson, who has retired, there is a real risk that Australia will not select a men’s sprint relay team this year. In a Sweetenham-esque move, Australian Swimming has set a team qualifying time of 3:15.77, the time that the Australian foursome recorded for sixth place in last year’s Olympic final. That equates to individual performances in the region of 49.46 in order for a team to make the trip. Michael Klim is the only current Australian competitor to have dipped under that mark, and should start as favourite for the individual places, but there is a real need for others to step up if a team is to go to Montreal.

On the subject of relays, that’s where Olympic 100m champion Jodie Henry sees her best chance of making the squad. THe world record holder has seen her training disrupted by her new higher profile, and a switch to a new training location at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, sees her enter the meet under prepared to repeat her heroics from last year. With Libby Lenton and Alice Mills both looking sharp over the two lap dash, Henry’s prediction might have a ring of truth to it, but it’s impossible to rule out such a high class competitor. Mills and Lenton will also contest the 200m freestyle event, in an attempt to boost the 4x200m freestyle relay squad, another team in flux after the retirement of Petria Thomas and injury to Elka Graham.

Elsewhere, the usual suspects will be on display, with Matt Welsh and Geoff Huegill defending national titles they won last year, while Olympic silver and Bronzed medallists Brooke Hanson and Liesel Jones renew their rivalry in the breaststroke events. Of course, this being Australia, these championships are not always about the established names and they are bound to throw up a newcomer or two who will make a name for themselves and be making that flight to Canada in July.