Swimmers will propel Australia up the Olympic medal table at the 2016 Rio Games, new benchmarking reveals.
Australia is on target to win 42 medals in Rio, the sixth most of any nation, the Australian Olympic Committee's benchmark study shows.
The study predicts Australia will win 13 gold medals in Rio - six more than at the 2012 London Games.
"The results are very encouraging. We are still a long way from Rio but they point to us building towards a successful Games," AOC president John Coates said in a statement on Wednesday.
In every non-Games year, the AOC benchmarks results of Australia with rival nations, based on world championships and other international competitions.
The benchmark study forecasts Australia to win 13 gold, 12 silver and 17 bronze medals at the Rio Games - sixth overall.
On a gold medal basis, Australia will rank seventh with China (31) and the USA (28) predicted to again be frontrunners.
At the London Olympics, Australia slipped to seventh on the medal table, winning 35 medals - seven gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze. The nation ranked 10th by gold medal tallies.
In Beijing in 2008, Australia ranked fifth overall and sixth on the gold medal table.
Coates was encouraged by recent strong performances by swimmers, forecasting seven gold, four silver and four bronze medals at the pool in Rio.
"Congratulations to our swimmers on some excellent results and also the coaches and officials who are driving their resurgence," Coates said.
"We are lower on the gold medal tally but remain hopeful our athletes will convert some of the 29 (predicted) silver and bronze medals into gold come 2016.
"A top five finish is an aspirational goal and we unashamedly strive to be back up there with the best again."
AOC benchmarking last December put Australia on 34 medals - eight gold, 19 silver and seven bronze.
But along with swimming, the new benchmarking predicts strong returns from cycling (six medals), sailing (four medals), rowing (four medals), canoe/kayak (three medals) and men's and women's hockey (two medals).
THE AOC FORECASTS
Australia to win 42 medals (13 gold, 12 silver, 17 bronze)
OVERALL MEDAL TALLY
China (79 medals), USA (66), Russia (60), Germany (45), Great Britain (45), Australia (42), Japan (41), France (40)
GOLD MEDAL TALLY
China (31 gold), USA (28), France (19), Russia (16), Japan (15), Germany (14), Australia (13), Great Britain (11).
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