Little-known Matt Targett says he's ready to ''make an impact'' and take up the fight for Australia in the battle for freestyle supremacy at the FINA world championships starting on Sunday.
After the shock withdrawal of world record-holder Eamon Sullivan (illness) from the championships, United States-based Targett is Australia's new weapon in the blue ribbon freestyle events at the Foro Italico.
A training partner of new 50m world record holder Fred Bousquet and Olympic champion Cesar Cielo at Auburn University, Targett knows his preparations have been ideal in the lead-up to Rome.
Seventh in the 100m freestyle final at the Beijing Olympics last year, Targett, 23, believes he can push for a podium in Italy.
''I feel fantastic for the meet,'' Targett said from the Australian team training camp in Manchester.
''I have a few more events now and a bit more impact to make now that Eamon's not here. I'm obviously hoping to do a bit better than last year and go a bit faster.''
Just how fast Targett can go remains the question.
His best time is 47.88sec from last year's Olympics, but he is yet to race in one of the new-age full-polyurethane swimsuits that his rivals have all posted blistering times in.
While Alain Bernard is the only man to break the 47-second barrier for the 100m, Sullivan's 47.05 world record still stands due to the Frenchman's suit not being approved by FINA.
However, Targett says that records will fall in Rome and is tipping up to three swimmers possibly the three guns in Brett Hawke's Auburn training squad to break the barrier.
''If I was a betting man I would put money on that,'' he said of the world record falling.
''Just knowing what our group has done in training I'm pretty confident that at least one, possibly up to three people are going to get under 47.
''I hold my own in training against those guys.
''It's really good for my confidence and I think our training group as a whole can do really well.''
Targett's competition will start on Sunday as he leads the Australian 4x100m freestyle relay team and contests the 50m butterfly.
He set a new Commonwealth record (23.17) in the fly last month and is determined to get on the podium after having his 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medal stripped for twitching on the blocks.
''I twitched on the blocks. I heard something in the crowd. I was a bit nervous, it was my first competition and I made a mess of it really,'' he said.
''I've been shaving a couple of tenths ever since I started taking it really seriously from the Montreal Cup in Canada which was about a month ago.
''I hope to continue that through and get into the low 22s.'' AAP
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