Sunday, 4 March 2018:
 | | CATE CAMPBELL of Australia celebrates winning gold and a new world record in the Final of the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Brazil. | |
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It wasn't quite plan B.
But Australian swimming coach Jacco Verhaeren has picked a 49-strong Gold Coast Commonwealth Games squad despite many relying on a B qualifier for selection.
Record-breaking Cate Campbell and Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers will spearhead the Dolphins at April's Games after launching successful comebacks at the four-day trials that concluded on Saturday night.
Teenager Ariarne Titmus was the standout after becoming the first woman in 14 years to nab the 200m-400m-800m freestyle national treble, setting a new Australian record along the way.
However, only 12 swimmers in 15 of 32 events earned A qualifying times.
Verhaeren still selected a squad close to their maximum quota of 50 for the Games with B qualifiers used as their guide.
The A qualifiers were based on world top eight times.
"The A times are the reference, top eight in the world is our goal," Verhaeren said.
"But this is Commonwealth Games and it's always great actually to be able to select a little bit of a broader team."
Verhaeren still believed the cream had risen to the top at the trials.
"I think we've got, almost without exception the best people in their best events," he said.
"I think that's important because if you want to defend titles and want to make the most out of the medal prospects in five weeks' time you need your best people there.
"We want a full team and we want to compete in every event for medals - simple as that."
Campbell looks set to lead the medal hunt in April after a stunning return from a 2017 sabbatical to cope with her Rio Olympic disappointment.
The ex-world champion appears back to her best after setting new 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle national records and nabbing the 100m freestyle gold.
The 19-year-old Chalmers also revelled in his comeback, claiming his maiden national titles - the 100m-200m freestyle double - upon his return from a year off to have a heart operation.
Also back from a 12 month break, ex-dual world champion James Magnussen grabbed his last chance to earn an individual swim when he placed third in the 50m freestyle on the final night.
He is also in the 4x100m relay team but won't get to defend his Commonwealth 100m title after missing the podium in the two lap sprint final at trials.
It was a breakout meet for 17-year-old Titmus, who upset world titles silver medallist Emma McKeon to take 200m freestyle gold, broke the 400m national record and went close to repeating the feat in the 800m final.
She was the first since Linda Mackenzie in 2004 to achieve the treble.
The team's youngest member is 16-year-old Kaylee McKeown - sister of breaststroke champ Taylor - who upset world champion Emily Seebohm to claim 200m backstroke gold.
AUSTRALIA'S SWIMMERS FOR THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES:
49 able bodies, 21 Para athletes:
Jessica Ashwood (Qld), Minna Atherton (Qld), Jesse Aungles (SA), Meg Bailey (NSW), Hayley Baker (Vic), Holly Barratt (WA), Joshua Beaver (Vic), Emily Beecroft (Vic), Georgia Bohl (Qld), Rohan Bright (NSW), Bronte Campbell (Qld), Cate Campbell (Qld), Jack Cartwright (Qld), Kyle Chalmers (SA), Blake Cochrane (Qld), Ellie Cole (Qld), Timothy Disken (Vic), Katherine Downie (WA), Blair Evans (WA), Daniel Fox (Qld), Alexander Graham (Qld), Jasmine Greenwood (NSW), Madeline Groves (Qld), Matthew Haanappel (Vic), Brenden Hall (Qld), Jessica Hansen (Vic), George Harley (WA), Timothy Hodge (NSW), Mack Horton (Vic), Liam Hunter (Qld), Zac Incerti (WA), Grant Irvine (Qld), Shayna Jack (Qld), Mitchell Kilduff (NSW), Mitchell Larkin (Qld), Paige Leonhardt (Qld), Matthew Levy (NSW), Clyde Lewis (Qld), James Magnussen (NSW), Travis Mahoney (SA), Ashleigh McConnell (Vic), Cameron McEvoy (Qld), James McKechnie (SA), David McKeon (Qld), Emma McKeon (Qld), Kaylee McKeown (Qld), Taylor McKeown (Qld), Jack McLoughlin (Qld), Kiah Melverton (Qld), David Morgan (Qld), Leah Neale (Qld), Jake Packard (Qld), Lakeisha Patterson (Qld), Leiston Pickett (Qld), Logan Powell (Qld), James Roberts (Qld), Liam Schluter (Qld), Madeleine Scott (Vic), Emily Seebohm (Qld), Mikkayla Sheridan (Qld), Zac Stubblety-Cook (Qld), Laura Taylor (Qld), Tiffany Thomas Kane (NSW), Brianna Throssell (WA), Ariarne Titmus (Qld), Ben Treffers (Qld), Tessa Wallace (Qld), Matthew Wilson (NSW), Elijah Winnington (Qld), Bradley Woodward (NSW).
