Reigning 50-meter freestyle world champion Cam McEvoy and three-time world record holder Shayna Jack headline the 24-member Australian team headed to the 2024 World Championships next February in Doha, Qatar.
McEvoy had a breakthrough year in 2023, posting his first best time in the 50 free since 2016 with a 21.27 at Australian Trials before winning his first title in July with a 21.06, making him the fourth-fastest performer ever. He was just .02 seconds away from Caeleb Dressel‘s textile world record time of 21.04.
Fresh off her first individual Worlds medal in Fukuoka (silver in 50 free – 24.10), Jack will be seeking her first individual world title to pair alongside her four relay crowns. The 25-year-old sprinter faces an uphill battle, however, as 30-year-old Sarah Sjostrom appears bound for the 2024 World Championships as the two-time defending champion in the 50 free.
The makeup of the roster has a significant philosophical slant from different programs. St. Peter’s Western accounts for a big portion of the team, albeit without some of their superstar names like Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan. Meanwhile, one of Australia’s other superpower clubs, Michael Bohl’s Griffith squad, is completely absent from the roster.
2022 world champion Elijah Winnington will attempt to top the podium again in the 400 free after finishing 7th this year. Kai Taylor, 20, will be back for his second Worlds after helping Australia’s 4×100 free relay team capture gold in Fukuoka. Jack Cartwright, Jenna Forrester, Abbey Harkin, Brianna Throssell, and Kiah Melverton also bring valuable experience to the Dolphins’ 2024 Worlds squad.
Three Aussies are slated to make their major international debuts on the senior stage: Iona Anderson, Jaclyn Barclay, and Robert Thorpe. Anderson is coming off a world junior title this summer in the 50 back (28.01) while Barclay took the world junior title i the 100 back (59.47).
In open water action, Chelsea Gubecka will contest the 5k after already qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 10k with her runner-up finish at Worlds this year in Fukuoka, Japan. Maddy Gough and Moesha Johnson will take on the women’s 10k while Kyle Lee and Nicholas Sloman are entered in the men’s 10k.
Dean Boxall and Tim Lane are among the seven-member coaching staff selected for Doha.
With the 2024 World Championships scheduled for Feb. 2-18, many top swimmers are skipping the meet due to its proximity to the Paris 2024 Olympics five months later. For the Aussies, big names missing from their 2024 Worlds roster include Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O’Callaghan, Kyle Chalmers, Sam Short, Emma McKeon, and Ariarne Titmus.
Check out the full rosters below:
| POOL ATHLETES | ||||
| First | Last | Club | State | Home Coach |
| Iona | Anderson** | Breakers | WA | Ben Higson |
| Jaclyn | Barclay** | St Peters Western | QLD | Cam Gledhill/ Dean Boxall |
| Jack | Cartwright | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Abbey | Connor | USC Spartans | QLD | Michael Palfery |
| Isaac | Cooper | St Andrews | QLD | Ashley Delaney |
| Jenna | Forrester | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Madeleine | Gough | Carlile | NSW | Fred Vergnoux* |
| Abbey | Harkin | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Shayna | Jack | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Moesha | Johnson | Griffith | QLD | Bernd Berkhahn* |
| Cameron | McEvoy | Somerville House | QLD | Timothy Lane |
| Kiah | Melverton | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Alexandria | Perkins | USC Spartans | QLD | Michael Palfery |
| Kai | Taylor | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Brianna | Throssell | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Samuel | Williamson | Melb Vicentre | VIC | Craig Jackson |
| Elijah | Winnington | St Peters Western | QLD | Dean Boxall |
| Bradley | Woodward | Mingara | NSW | Adam Kable |
*International Home Coach
**Rookies
| OPEN WATER ATHLETES | ||||
| First | Last | Club | State | Home Coach |
| Bianca | Crisp-5k | Yeronga Park | QLD | Kate Sparkes |
| Madeleine | Gough-10k | Carlile | NSW | Fred Vergnoux* |
| Chelsea | Gubecka-5k | Yeronga Park | QLD | Kate Sparkes |
| Moesha | Johnson-10k | Griffith | QLD | Bernd Berkhahn* |
| Bailey | Armstrong-5k | USC Spartans | QLD | Harley Connolly |
| Kyle | Lee-10k | North Coast | WA | Ian Mills |
| Nicholas | Sloman-10k | Noosa | QLD | John Rogers |
| Robert | Thorpe**-5k | St Peters Western | QLD | Mick Lewandowski |
*International Home Coach
**Rookie
| COACHES | ||
| First | Last | Club |
| Dean | Boxall | St Peters Western |
| Timothy | Lane | Somerville House |
| Michael | Palfery | USC Spartans |
| Ian | Mills | North Coast |
| Kate | Sparkes | Yeronga Park |
| Rohan | Taylor | Team Director |
| Mel | Tantrum | Technical Support |
| POOL STAFF | ||
| First | Last | Role |
| Ashley | Briggs | Massage Therapist |
| Delly | Carr | Photographer |
| Jay | Collison | S&C |
| Marc | Elipot | Performance Analyst |
| Ivan | Hooper | Physiotherapy & Performance Support Lead |
| Nichoals | Smith | Performance Analyst |
| Selina | Steele | Media Manager |
| Mel | Tantrum | Technical Support |
| Rohan | Taylor | Team Director |
| Ben | Weber | Doctor |
| Kirsty | West | Team Manager |
| OPEN WATER STAFF | ||
| First | Last | Role |
| Greg | Shaw | Team Leader |
| Rachel | Harris | Doctor |
| Catriona | Croghan | Physiotherapy |
| Graeme | Brewer | Technical Support |
Olivia Wunsch should have been added
I can’t wait to see what events each swimmer is doing and are they doing relays?
Event predictions:… Read more »
Iona Anderson – 50/100 back
Jaclyn Barclay – 50/100/200 back
Jack Cartwright – 100 free
Abbey Connor – 200 fly
Isaac Cooper – 50 free, 50 fly, 50/100 back
Jenna Forrester – 200 back, 200/400 IM
Madeleine Gough – 800/1500 free
Abbey Harkin – 50/100/200 breast
Shayna Jack – 50/100/200 free
Moesha Johnson – 1500 free
Cameron McEvoy – 50 free, 50 fly
Kiah Melverton – 200/400/800 free, 400 IM
Alexandria Perkins – 50/100 fly, 50 free
Kai Taylor – 100/200 free
Brianna Throssell – 50/100/200 fly
I don’t think they will do all relays but as you’ve said, they theoretically could field almost all of them and quite a few are quite competitive.
Will be interesting to see which ones they do.
I would love at a minimum to see the mens 4×100 free and women’s 4×200 free
Of all the relays, I would say W100/200 free, Mixed free and mixed medley would be the most likely since they all legit are gold chances depending on how strong the field is.
The happiest fact for me is finally Shayna Jack was elected as a representative of the individual events!!!
She already won 50 free silver in Fukuoka
What happened to Elijah Winnington?
He’s hot and cold. Alternatingly every year.
So hoping he’ll be hot in 2024 after a cold 2023.
He’s was only 4th fastest in the world in 400m free this year. Behind Short, Hafnoui and Martens.
SPW couldn’t settle for dominating domestic comps, now they are going to help us save face as a side quest before Paris.
Would’ve been nice to have a couple other names pitch in, but it was clear that the individual gold medal swimmers outside of the 50 free contenders were going to sit out, it was visible who was in what stage of their cycle.
Kaylee will finally have a few months off until the Victorian Open, where she should be a tad slower, or just as fast as now because she is a machine.
Outside of her and massive surges from some juniors for the future, the standout was MOC, who had yet another strong December… Read more »
The 100 free was MOC’s 6th swim of the day. When you consider that the 100 fly and 400 free were earlier the same session, that 53.27 time is more comparable to a 1:54.36 than it might first appear.
It is worth accounting for, she still would’ve lost to Shayna had it been first up but the time would’ve been in the 52’s.
In context to former Queensland Championships, this was the first time she swam any race before the 100 free on individual day 2, so her evolution since 2021 is actually greater than what the paper says.
I was hoping max guiliani would be on the team, and doesnt appear to be a male flyer on board, so unless chalmers and or temple get added late….mens medley not starting
Cooper or Cam? Both have been doing the 50.
Both only train for 50s apart from 100 free. Maybe, mcevoy does heat, cooper the final. Cant see them doing it
Taylor raced the 200 at the Qld States so most likely option
Hard enough to get Cooper to do a 100 Back, next to zero chance you will see him do a 100 Fly LOL!! Can do a hell of a 50Fly though, so it just comes down to training and attitude that prevents him from doing a quality 100 Fly.
It’s funny. I think pure sprinters as well as pure milers need the least taper/rest of swimmers
Alot stronger than i expected. Should pick up a few medals. Relays might be interesting.
Relays interesting, yes…melverton-forrester-jack-Throssell, there’s a w4x2 gold unless the Chinese start the final with their rested top 4; Barclay, Anderson – Harkin – Throssell, Perkins, Connor- Jack, Perkins, Throssell – w4x1 medley with reserves; men’s medley may need someone to opt in the fly leg and the 4×1 mix med will need a female on the fly leg. Men’s 4×1 and 4×2 have 3 great choices each so I guess they can decide on the spot whether to start or not by co-opting a 4th.