Matthew Mitcham has hogged Australian diving headlines since his stunning gold medal-winning performance at the Beijing Olympics.

But his injury-enforced absence at this month's world championships in Shanghai could pave the way for another bright London Olympic hope to emerge in the form of 15-year-old Brittany Broben.

The Gold Coast teenager exploded into 2012 calculations with a gold medal in her first senior event at the USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale in May.

In the process she upstaged China's reigning Olympic champion Chen Ruolin leading some, including Mitcham himself, to predict a bright future.

"She's our next big thing," Mitcham said.

"She's a fantastic, fantastic diver ... so confident during competition for someone her age and quite consistent too.

"If she can dive the way she did in Fort Lauderdale this year, then she has a really good shot at winning these world championships."

Broben is one of three new faces in the Australian team for Shanghai, along with with Anabelle Smith and James Connor, who will be Australia's sole representative in the men's platform in Mitcham's absence.

Mitcham will travel to Shanghai to support the team and believes even without him they will be capable of maintaining their status as one of the world's leading diving nations.

"Over the last few years we've been the No.2 diving nation in the world and I think we can maintain that," Mitcham said.

"We've got some pretty good young divers coming up as well as the old regulars, but then again there's always Canada and other countries that are sitting just behind us."

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sharleen Stratton is considered Australia's best hope in the springboard events and will combine with Smith in the 3m synchro.

Veteran Alexandra Croak will join Broben in the women's platform, after finishing second at the trials to deny Melissa Wu a berth in the individual event.

Wu, a silver medallist in the synchro at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will team up with Croak in the event after the pair won gold at last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Mitcham's withdrawal due to a troublesome abdominal injury has left Australia's male diving contingent looking decidedly thin.

Aside from Connor, Grant Nel is the only other competing, in the 1m and 3m springboard events.

Mitcham, meanwhile, is confident his absence will only benefit his bid to defend his Olympic gold in London.

"I'm quite sure I wouldn't have dived my best at Shanghai and that sort of opens it up for the other divers to beat me," Mitcham said.

"These divers would have been going into 2012 with the confidence thinking, 'I've beaten the Olympic champion' and having the confidence, whereas if I don't compete, they can't use that."

The host nation is again expected to dominate, having claimed seven of the 10 gold medals on offer at the 2009 world championships in Rome.

AAP