Comeback king Cameron McEvoy has sent a warning to his world championship rivals that he's the man to beat next month in Japan with a sizzling 50-metre freestyle time.
The 29-year-old swam the quickest time in the world this year in winning his heat in 21.27 seconds on Sunday and backed it up with victory in the final in a time of 21.41 to book his spot for Fukuoka.
It would have been fast enough to win silver at the Tokyo Olympics and a gold medal at last year's world titles.
The next fastest time this year is by France's Florent Manaudou, who clocked 21.56 this month.
McEvoy said it was his first personal best in the freestyle in seven years, coming after he also topped his previous mark in the 50m butterfly earlier in the Melbourne program.
He described his heat swim time to smash his previous record of 21.44 as beyond a fantasy.
The Queenslander said making the team after a year off following the Tokyo Games, and dramatically overhauling his training program, gave selection a different feel.
"It feels very special - it's the first PB I've done in freestyle, in anything actually, in seven years, which is a very long time," said McEvoy,who missed the semi-finals of the event in Tokyo.
"The approach has been very, very different actually and there's an element of risk in doing it.
"It's very calming and relieving that it worked."
A three-time Olympic bronze medallist, McEvoy credits his resurgence to a rigorous callisthenics regime while reducing his kilometres in the pool, having added 10kg of muscle to his frame.
In other races on the closing night of the trials, Shayna Jack relegated 11-time Olympic medallist Emma McKeon to second place in the women's 50m to secure an individual race in Japan.
It was a sweet result for Jack, who finished third in the 100m race and also missed the final of the 200m after blowing her heat.
"This week has been a bit of a rollercoaster for emotions," the 24-year-old said.
"It was great to get first tonight. I was so proud of my 100 free (freestyle) but at the same time I had that disappointment as when you come third you don't get an individual spot."
Tokyo bronze medallist Brendon Smith smashed the Swimming Australia qualifying time in the men's 400m individual medley as did Jenna Forrester in the women's equivalent.
Matt Temple overcame Kyle Chalmers in a red-hot men's 100m butterfly field with former pop star Cody Simpson in fifth, missing squad selection.
Lani Pallister, the daughter of swimming great Janelle Elford, also cruised into first place in the 1500m freestyle and will look to improve on her bronze medal from last year's world titles.
A 38-strong Dolphins team was named, including open water swimmers, with day one of racing in Fukuoka on July 14.
AUSTRALIAN SWIM TEAM FOR 2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bailey Armstrong, Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Shaun Champion, Abbey Connor, Isaac Cooper, Bianca Crisp, Lizzy Dekkers, Jenna Forrester, Maddy Gough, Alex Graham, Chelsea Gubecka, Abbey Harkin, Meg Harris, Shayna Jack, Moesha Johnson, Kyle Lee, Cameron McEvoy, Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown, Kiah Melverton, Tommy Neill, Mollie O'Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Sam Short, Nick Sloman, Brendon, Smith, Flynn Southam, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Kai Taylor, Matt, Temple, Brianna Throssell, Ariarne Titmus, Sam Williamson, Madi Wilson, Jack Wilson, Elijah Winnington, Brad Woodward.
