The teams were selected following a thrilling six-day Trials meet in Adelaide, where a blend of established champions and rising stars cemented their places on the plane to Singapore, while also taking a significant step toward the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Returning to lead the team for the World Aquatics Championships in July are Commonwealth Games gold medallists Kaylee McKeown, Zac Stubblety-Cook and Kyle Chalmers, all of whom played key roles in Australia’s dominance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
McKeown, who secured three gold medals in Birmingham, remains a driving force in Australia’s campaign. Two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Stubblety-Cook and seven-time gold medallist Chalmers also return as consistent podium contenders.
Among the standout performances in Adelaide was distance freestyle star Lani Pallister, who saved her best for last by breaking the Commonwealth record in the final event of the program, the women’s 1500m freestyle.
Clocking 15:39.14, Pallister broke the 10-year-old mark previously held by New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle, staking her claim as a major contender in Singapore and signalling her intent ahead of Glasgow 2026.
In Para swimming, a 25-athlete squad has been named for the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships, also to be held in Singapore later in the year.
The team includes Commonwealth Games champions Timothy Hodge, Rowan Crothers and Katja Dedekind, each of whom has played a significant role in Australia’s recent successes on the pool deck.
They’ll be joined by a promising cohort of newcomers, including Callum Simpson, recently named a finalist for the Commonwealth Games Australia Emerging Athlete of the Year, and Declan Budd, a recipient of the 2025 Kurt Fearnley Scholarship program.
The 22nd World Aquatics Championships will take place from 11 July to 3 August 2025 in Singapore, while the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships will be held from 21 to 27 September, also in Singapore.
The full list of selected athletes for the World Aquatic Championships can be found here, while the squad of athletes selected to the World Para Swimming Championships is here.
Image credit: Swimming Australia and Delly Carr
