Grant Hackett's coach is backing the comeback veteran to swim faster than ever.
Denis Cotterell admits he was surprised by 34-year-old Hackett's performances at the national championships just six months into his return to the pool.
He baulked on Monday at making any Rio Olympic predictions for the two-time Olympic 1500m champion, even after watching him claim a spot on the 200m relay team at this year's world championships.
However, he tipped Hackett to turn back the clock and eclipse his at least decade-old 200m and 400m freestyle personal bests - times that would give him a crack at a 2016 Olympic medal.
"I would like to think he can break his old PBs - that would be a huge thing in itself," Cotterell told AAP.
"If he sets a new 200m PB why not the 400m?"
Hackett's 200m PB is one minute, 45.61 seconds set in 2004 - a time that would have narrowly missed bronze at the 2013 world titles.
And his 400m PB (3:42.51 set in 2001) would have won London Olympic bronze and 2013 world titles silver.
"Everyone can improve by the Rio trials and Grant is the same even at 34," Cotterell said.
"But I don't want to put any expectations on him. He just wants to get better.
"Where that leads you never know.
"Right now we are just savouring the shock of what he has actually achieved."
Hackett earned a 2015 world championship relay team berth with a stirring fourth place in the national 200m freestyle final in Sydney on Sunday night.
He took three seconds off his best 200m time since returning to the pool after a six-year break.
And he earlier shaved eight seconds off his best 400m comeback time to win a shock bronze medal in Sydney.
"I shouldn't have been surprised but I was," Cotterell said.
"I came here probably thinking he is a month short but secretly hoped he could find something.
"He did much more than that. He made a statement."
Cotterell backed Hackett's claim that his charge's return to the pool was never about making a comeback.
"I never wanted to call it a comeback because if he didn't make it there would be a perception from some that it was a failure - he didn't want to deal with that," he said.
"He wanted to get fit, be in a familiar environment again.
"(But) the contest brings out that much more in him - he puts on a suit of armour.
"And they say 'never doubt a champion'."
Hackett reckoned he still had plenty to offer.
"We have a lot to work to do, but it's more of an opportunity than a problem," he said of the 4x200m relay team.
"And I know I can drop a fair chunk of time between now and worlds.
"I want to lead by example."
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