The selection comes after the pair enjoyed a successful summer in both the pool life saving and surf life saving disciplines, with Holmesby claiming the overall point score title at January's Australian Pool Life Saving Championships and Sharman winning two silver medals at the competition.

Both girls identified selection in the team to compete at the 2020 World Championships as their long-term goal following their successful summers and this selection brings them one step closer to achieving that goal.

The pair were selected as members of a 32-person squad that will be whittled down throughout the next year ahead of the World Championships, which will be held in Italy in September and October.

A 12-person team will also be selected from the squad to compete at this year's International Surf Rescue Challenge in South Africa.

Australian Youth Life Saving Team head coach Craig Holden said a well-balanced squad had been selected with an eye to success in a range of disciplines at the World Championships.

Read more: Illawarra's junior swimmers thrive at All Schools Championships

"We have an amazing array of young talent here in Australia and it is always extremely difficult in determining our squads," Holden said.

"We are extremely confident in the young athletes we have selected across all disciplines and really excited to see how they develop over the next year or so heading toward LWC2020 in Italy.

"Looking across all the athletes who nominated and our selected squad there is definitely the potential there to help us win back the LWC2020 Youth National Teams World Title from New Zealand.

"There is every chance that those who are not currently in the squad to force their way into reckoning for a berth at LWC2020 through their performances through the remainder of the coming pool rescue season and the 2019/20 surf season also."

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