The Australian swimming team is playing down talk of redemption in Barcelona, insisting the big picture of the 2016 Rio Olympics is more important than a rapid turnaround in results.
A 36-strong Australian team enters the 15th world championships on Sunday, a year on from an ill-fated London Olympic campaign.
The fall-out from the 2012 Games shook Australian swimming to its core, with two independent inquiries pointing to a "toxic" culture within a squad lacking leadership.
Major changes followed and the new team chief Michael Scott insists Australia are already taking important steps towards improving "performance culture" and team unity.
But despite the squad's results set to be heavily scrutinised in Barcelona, Scott isn't applying any pressure in terms of the medal count.
Rather he sees the event as an important early stepping stone on the long road to Rio.
"Our goal as a team is always to remember that our end goal is Rio," Scott said on Friday.
"We're on a four year journey and this is the first year of a four-year journey.
"We want to peak in 2016 not 2013."
Australia suffered its lowest Olympic medal haul since the 1992 Barcelona Games and was without an individual gold medallist for the first time since 1976.
With many other nations also in re-building phase the Australians are strongly-placed heading into this week's meet, holding the top ranking in seven individual events.
But Scott warned that was only a "paper assessment" and said the key focus was on rectifying a worrying lack of improvement shown between meets last year.
While athletes are meant to peak for the big events only 26 per cent of Australian swimmers' times improved between the selection trials and London Games last year.
"If we achieve that significant improvement from our trials to the world championships, then the medals will flow," Scott said.
While the London campaign was marred by accusations of bullying and misbehaviour, veteran breaststroke Brenton Rickard said the early signs were good regarding team unity in Barcelona.
"I've had a great time and I think a lot of the team has too," said Rickard, at 29 the oldest member of the team.
"Obviously we can't change London but this is not about redemption or anything like that.
"It's about learning the lessons that were taught to us last year and improving."
The men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay teams headline the opening day of competition on Sunday, with Australia strong medal contenders in both events.
But in keeping with the theme of modesty among the squad, sprint spearhead James Magnussen says Australia's defending champion men are outsiders for a medal.
"We're going into these worlds realistically ranked fourth behind the Americans, the French and the Russians. It's definitely going to be a tough race for us," he said.
