Swimming Australia has announced a powerhouse 38-strong squad, featuring 24 Commonwealth Games alumni, who will head to Japan for the upcoming World Swimming Championships.

The team includes Emma McKeon, the most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history, as well as world record holders and multiple Commonwealth Games medallists Kaylee McKeown and Zac Stubblety-Cook.

Australia’s team for next month’s world swimming championships in Japan contains plenty of gold medal chances, with the squad named on Sunday night at the end of the six-day trials in Melbourne.

Rookie Kai Taylor, the son of retired great and 11-time Commonwealth Games medallist Hayley Lewis, will also join the team.

Taylor captured the spotlight with his win from lane eight in the men’s 200m freestyle, watched by his emotional mum in the stands, to earn a place in the team for the championships which get under way on July 14.

Commonwealth Games alumni including Ariarne Titmus, Elijah Winnington, and sprint star Kyle Chalmers are all expected to shine in Fukuoka.

Mollie O’Callaghan will look to defend her title in the 100 metres while she took top spot at the trials in the 200m freestyle final and finished second in the 100m backstroke.

While he was beaten by Sam Short at the trials, Winnington will aim for successive men’s 400m freestyle world titles as will Stubblety-Cook in the 200m breaststroke.

Triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist McKeown will defend her 200m backstroke crown after narrowly missed breaking her own world record at the trials.

She has also qualified for the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley events at the worlds.

Lani Pallister, the daughter of another swim great Janelle Elford, will line up in the 400m, 800m and 1500m which she won on the final night.

Titmus also punched her ticket into three individual events in Japan after winning the 400m and 800m freestyle finals and finishing second in the 200m free behind O’Callaghan.

Australian head coach Rohan Taylor expected “conversions” after naming the highly-rated squad.

“I’m excited about this team, we’ve got a great mix of experienced campaigners and some young blood coming through,” Taylor said.

“These world championships are such an important steppingstone in what is a big 12 months before Paris Olympics.

“We have an amazing team, they’re hard-working, authentic and it’s always about improvement.

“Our goal is always to have as many high-ranked athletes going into meets and when we do that, we get conversions.”

Included in the Dolphins team is Bianca Crisp, who will make her debut in the open water championships competing from 15-20 July.

Crisp, a proud Wiradjuri woman, was one of the inaugural recipients of the Ron Clarke Griffith Futures Scholarship, named in honour of a legend of Australian sport Ron Clarke AO MBE who was passionate about the Commonwealth Games and education.

The 2023 World Aquatics Championships, the 20th edition of the World Aquatics Championships, will be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from 14 to 30 July 2023. It will include artistic swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, swimming, and water polo.