Cate Campbell upstaged by sister

World champion Cate Campbell has been upstaged by her younger sister Bronte ahead of the national 100m freestyle final in Sydney.

World champion Cate Campbell

Cate Campbell (pic) has been upstaged by sister Bronte ahead of the national 100m freestyle final. (AAP)

Bridesmaid honours look set to be finally ditched by Bronte Campbell after she upstaged her world champion sibling Cate ahead of the national women's 100m freestyle final in Sydney on Tuesday night.

But Cate Campbell admitted she had been getting used to it as she played catch up due to off-season shoulder surgery ahead of July's world titles in Kazan, Russia.

Bronte Campbell clocked the world's second fastest time of 2015 - 53.05 seconds - to top qualifying for Wednesday night's 100m freestyle final ahead of her older sister, albeit by just 0.03 of a second.

After Bronte Campbell won the opening semi-final on Tuesday night, Cate Campbell backed up to claim the second in 53.08.

Cate Campbell has been unbeaten in the 100m since late 2012 but she had been getting used to tasting defeat at training since returning from off-season surgery.

The operation slashed eight weeks off her national titles lead-up, giving her just three months of training before entering a 100m field with unprecedented depth.

"It's a role reversal but I am seeing that every day in training," Cate Campbell said of her sister's semi-finals time.

"It's not too much of a surprise to have it official.

"She's had two months more training than I have and I know how much work she puts in every day.

"It will be a really good final, let's put it that way."

Bronte Campbell's time would have won London Olympic silver and 2013 world titles bronze.

World No.3 Bronte Campbell fell short of downing her sister by just 0.01 of a second at January's Aquatic Super Series in Perth after giving her sibling scares at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs last year.

And it seems she will give her sister another fright on Wednesday night in one of the strongest national 100m freestyle final fields ever seen.

Cate Campbell admitted she will be looking over her surgically repaired shoulder in a final also featuring world record breaking 4x100m relay teammates Emma McKeon and Melanie Wright (nee Schlanger).

Veteran Alicia Coutts also scraped into the final in what looms as her last event before retirement.

"The depth in this event ...makes you step up - I know these girls are on my tail," Cate Campbell said.

But Cate Campbell said Hackett - who earned a 2015 world titles team spot in his first major meet in six years - had shown there are no excuses.

"Look what Grant did - I shouldn't be complaining," she laughed.


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Source: AAP


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