Australia’s open water swimming team touched down in Melbourne Tuesday as the countdown continues for the 12th FINA World Championships, starting this weekend.

The seven-strong team which includes world champions Josh Santacaterina and Brendan Capell and four-time Australian Ironman champion Ky Hurst are hungry for medals.

Santacaterina is the reigning world champion in the 25 kilometre event, while Capell took the crown in 2004.

Hurst, a silver medallist over five-kilometres at the 1998 World Championships in Perth will line up in the that event as well as the Olympic distance 10km.

The trio will be joined by women’s 25km star Shelley Clark, Australian five and 10km champion Kate Brookes-Peterson and rookies Alex Bagley and David Browne.

The open water program kicks off the Championships on Sunday with the men’s and women’s five kilometres featuring Hurst and Browne in the men’s and Brookes-Peterson and Bagley in the women’s.

“It’s a very exciting, very strong mix of experience and youth,” said Australian Open Water head coach Greg Towle.

“We have the perfect combination and I’m sure the younger ones will learn a lot from the swimmers like Ky who has been swimming at this level since 1998.

“To have the World Championships in Melbourne with the opportunity for people to come down to St Kilda to see the open water stars in action is very exciting for our team."

The bulk of the Dolphins pool team, including Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton and Jodie Henry will join the likes of Grant Hackett, Michael Klim and Matt Welsh Wednesday when the pool team gather in Melbourne for their Staging camp.

The eight-day pool program begins at the newly christened Susie O’Neill Pool on Sunday, March 25.

Swimming Australia