Four Warrnambool swimmers qualify for next year's National Age Group and Open Championships on the Gold Coast

The 21-year-old has already qualified for the April event along with three other Warrnambool swimmers - Abbie McNaught (13 years 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre breaststroke), Jude de Silva-Smith (15 years 200-metre backstroke) and Eamonn McCarthy (16 years 100-metre backstroke).

Christie-Crane at this stage will swim in the open 50, 100 and 200-metre races and is hoping to make a final.

"I feel like if I really have a good summer it's possible," he said.

"Between me and Lamby (Warrnambool swim coach Jayson Lamb) we've looked at what sort of times I'd have to go to get into a final and we're going to race-plan for going those sort of times."

The Hamilton export is an experienced hand at the championships having competed several times before, after debuting in 2018.

"My first year was pretty good," he said.

"I was nervous a bit probably.

"My second year was alright and my third year I was in the open age group and I snuck into an open age group final."

Christie-Crane opted not to compete in this year's championships due to not feeling "fit enough to put on a good performance" but is hoping a strong summer of preparation will have him primed for next year.

Lamb was delighted to have four of his swimmers already qualified for the event.

"If you qualify for your time you're basically top-50 in that event in Australia which is an achievement in itself," he said.

"It's good that they've got them this early.

"There's a lot of improvement still to come before April.

"It's really promising.

"It's really pleasing to know that they're getting the reward. They work hard and they're good kids, so it's good to get the reward."

Next year's championships will be McNaught, de Silva-Smith and McCarthy's first time swimming at the level and Lamb believes it will be a "good experience" for them.

"We've got some target times in our mind that we'd like to achieve so we'll see what happens," he said.

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