The Australian/AIS women’s water polo team was on site in Canberra this week as they took part in a gruelling camp.

Fresh off a successful 2010 international season in which the team finished second in the FINA World League behind the United States, Australia/AIS is preparing for an assault on the international scene in the year prior to the Olympics.

The Australian/AIS team will travel to compete in the first leg of the 2011 FINA World League in Auckland on May 9, before returning to Sydney for the second leg starting 16th May.

Assuming they qualify for the FINA World League finals, it will provide the perfect lead up event to the FINA World Championships which are to be held in Shanghai, China from July 16-31.

Australia/AIS achieved a sixth place finish at the last world championships in 2009, and will be aiming for a higher finish as they begin to set their sights on the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In the three Olympic Games that women’s water polo has been contested, Australia won the gold medal in Sydney, before finishing fourth in Athens, and then claiming a thrilling bronze medal in Beijing with a 12-11 victory over Hungary.

Current Australian goalkeeper Victoria Brown is recovering from a broken leg she sustained at the end of 2010 and said the facilities on offer at the AIS are second to none.

"It’s great,” Brown said.  “It is often cold down here and there are early mornings and things like that, but they’re fantastic facilities.

“We were here also leading into 2008 on residential camp for three months and it’s an amazing facility. To be able to have that sort of support around you 24 hours a day really helps you focus individually and as a team. It’s great and in terms of rehab you can’t get a better support team than here.”

Brown, 25, missed out on a place on the 2008 Olympic team but said it refocused her goals.

“It was quite a tough learning curve but I think it has a lot to do with who I am as a player today and the fact that I’m still here. So it’s tough but you learn a lot from it.”