Australian Swimming has moved swiftly to declare it's interest in getting back on track following the conclusion of the 2001 international calendar at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane.

Although there are some absentees due to a busy 2002 program which includes this World Short Course Championships there are also the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, 25 July to 4 August and the Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama, Japan, 24 to 29 August. The Australian Commonwealth Games Trials are scheduled for 18 to 23 March 2002.

World champions Grant Hackett, Matt Welsh, Petria Thomas and Giaan Rooney will spearhead a 35-strong Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team announced today for the 2002 World Short Course Championships in Moscow, Russia from April 4-8.

New faces on the men's team includes rookie breaststroker, Brenton Rickard, the younger brother of 1998 World Championship sprint freestyler Nathan, who will make his National team debut, and short course specialists, Beau Mannix and Stephen Goudie.

There will be 13 World Championships team members from Fukuoka, however there will be some nnotable absentees including Ian Thorpe, Todd Pearson, Liesel Jones and Geoff Huegill.

Members of the Olympic and World Championship relay teams will be on the team including Ashley Callus, Michael Klim, William Kirby and Adam Pine as well as Sarah Ryan.

Also off to Moscow will be Jim Piper, Trent Steed and Robert Van der Zant who were all members of the victorious Goodwill Games team in Brisbane last week.

Absentees from the women's team, due to unavailability include Leisel Jones and Dyana Calub, who will have knee surgery before resuming training next month.

After an impressive Goodwill Games campaign the Australian women have 12 members of their World Championships team in tact with two Queensland rookies, Melanie Houghton and Nicole Irving to be joined by Frances Adcock, a member of this year's East Asian Games team and Felicity Galvez, a member of the Goodwill Games gold medal girls team.