Coutts has Thorpe-like influence on team Australian women's coach Michael Bohl has likened Alicia Coutts' calming influence on the national team to that of some of the nation's greatest swimmers. Coutts, who claimed five medals at last year's London Games, is preparing to embark on another marathon program at the world championships in Barcelona, where she could race in up to six events. Along with the 100m butterfly on Sunday's opening day, Coutts will also swim in the 50m fly and 200m individual medley and could potentially swim in all three relays. While Bohl expects Coutts to again lead the way in the pool he said she'd also become a huge asset out of it, likening her ability to settle and inspire her teammates to that of former champions such as Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett. "Just the wealth of experience that she brings, it's a settling influence people like Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Susie O'Neill had on the team," Bohl said on Saturday. It just gives the team confidence having athletes of that calibre around and having someone like Alicia in there is a settling influence on us. We've got someone who got five medals at the Olympics last year and she's a quiet girl, she's very confident and she's very supportive. I think she'll do a great job. Although no stranger to heavy workloads, Coutts enters the meet on the back of an impressive preparation in which she's focused on increasing her strength. "I have never seen Alicia coming into a meet looking as strong," Bohl said. She's swimming in everything. She's in everything but the wood chop. She's got a huge program but her coach John (Fowlie) has prepared her really well for what she's got ahead of her and she'll well and truly handle it. Sunday's opening day also features the men's and women's sprint relays. Australia's men, led by James Magnussen, face an almighty challenge to defend their title against the powerful US, French and Russian teams. The women are out to again upstage the US and Dutch after a surprise win at last year's London Olympics, Australia's only gold medal in the pool. The women's team is missing Melanie Schlanger due to illness but it does possess a powerful weapon in Cate Campbell, the top-ranked female in the 100m and 50m freestyle this year. Other events on day one include the men's and women's 400m freestyle. Heats start at 10am local time on Sunday (1800 AEST).