Three USC Spartans swimmers who made a splash at the FINA World Championships in Hungary this week will come home with a clutch of medals and personal best times.

Sixteen-year-old Kaylee McKeown cemented her place as a future star of the Australian team after winning a silver medal in the mixed medley relay and touching fourth in the women’s 200m backstroke.

Kaylee’s sister Taylor also picked up a bronze medal in the 4x100m medley relay, while Leah Neale bagged a bronze medal after a blistering swim in the heats of the 4x200m freestyle.

The FINA Championships were the culmination of a six-week campaign of competition in Europe for the USC trio, who were joined in Hungary by USC Spartans coach Chris Mooney.

USC was also well-represented in the Open Water events at the FINA event, with USC students Jack Brazier, Kareena Lee and Olympian Chelsea Gubecka taking to the water in Lake Baloton.

Kareena and Jack will each come home with a bronze medal, after contributing to an outstanding Australian performance in the mixed 5km event.

Chelsea and Kareena secured ninth and 19th place respectively in the 10km race, while Jack came 17th in the 10km and backed up with a 21st place in the 25km event.

USC’s Head of High-Performance Sport Professor Brendan Burkett congratulated the entire USC contingent for their efforts, both in the lead-up and during the Championships.

“These results are a credit to how much work the swimmers and their support teams have put in this year,” he said. “The World Championships are one of the toughest arenas to compete in.

“This event is testament to USC and the Sunshine Coast’s reputation as a breeding ground for high-performance athletes.”

Back in the USC Pool, three swimmers from the USC Spartans Paralympic squad are ramping up training ahead of the 2017 Para Swimming World Championships in Mexico City, which begin in September.

— Gen Kennedy