Australian top-tier swimmers have chosen to skip the upcoming world championships in Doha, as revealed in the roster announcement on Friday. Notably absent from the squad are Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Kyle Chalmers, with Kaylee McKeown and Emma McKeon also opting to forgo the February event to concentrate on preparations for the Paris Olympics later in the year.

The 18-member team is led by the current 50-metre freestyle world champion, Cameron McEvoy, and sprinter Shayna Jack, known for her contributions to four world record-breaking relay teams. This squad is half the size of the one that secured 25 medals, including 13 golds, at the Fukuoka worlds this year.

Elijah Winnington, the reigning 2022 world champion, aims to dominate the podium once again in the 400m freestyle. The team includes experienced swimmers Jenna Forrester, Abbey Harkin, and Brianna Throssell, while three rookies, including backstroke specialists Iona Anderson and Jaclyn Barclay, have been selected. The latter two showcased their talent at the world junior swimming championships in Israel this year.

Australia faces a busy lead-up to the Olympics, with the national championships on the Gold Coast scheduled for April and the Olympic swimming trials taking place in Brisbane on June 10-15.

Australia Squad: Iona Anderson, Jaclyn Barclay, Jack Cartwright, Abbey Connor, Isaac Cooper, Jenna Forrester, Madeleine Gough, Abbey Harkin, Shayna Jack, Moesha Johnson, Cameron McEvoy, Kiah Melverton, Alexandria Perkins, Kai Taylor, Brianna Throssell, Samuel Williamson, Elijah Winnington, Bradley Woodward.