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Melbourne - Australia, spearheaded by an outstanding group of women swimmers, could have their best Commonwealth Games result at next month's Melbourne Games, head coach Alan Thompson said on Sunday.
Australia, a traditional world swimming power, have selected a 45-member team to contest the Commonwealth Games, boosted by new world record breakers Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton and Jade Edmiston.
Thompson reckoned that even if the team didn't win a record number of gold medals, they could take more overall medals than ever before.
Australia won 25 of the 38 gold medals on offer at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, but are on track to win 24 events at the Melbourne Games in March.
 
| 'We certainly have a very strong team' |
The national team has improved since Manchester but improvements in Canadian, British and South African swimming, plus the absence of the injured team captain Grant Hackett could be challenged in more events.
The crack women's team are tipped to win 16 of 19 events in March, with the only misses in the 400m and 800m freestyle and 200m backstroke.
Jones, Lenton and Edmistone all set world records at the Games trials at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre over the last week and appear set to make further inroads into their world marks in six weeks' time.
The men, minus Hackett and on the proviso of Ian Thorpe not swimming the 400m freestyle, should claim about eight gold medals based on current performances.
Thompson felt Australia's biggest swim team in history were capable of being their finest Commonwealth Games team.
"We always use the benchmark from previous meets as a challenge to us, so with the results this past week it certainly looks that way," Thompson said.
"We certainly have a very strong team."
Thompson felt the men, criticised for their poor showing at last year's Montreal World Championships, have started moving in the right direction at the trials and there were definite signs of improving depth.
"I think very good overall, the depth is greater in a lot of events," said Thompson.
"I think we were looking a little dusty in some of the men's events last year but I the men have really taken on board criticism and answered the critics.
"That is not to say there aren't some areas we need to improve on."
Commonwealth Games' Perry Crosswhite said the Australian swim team traditionally collected between a quarter and a third of all Australia's medals at the Games. - Sapa-AFP
- This article was originally published on page 6 of The Star on February 06, 2006
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