Cate Campbell’s quest to qualify for a record breaking fifth Olympics has been dealt a blow after she missed the 100m freestyle final at the Australian swimming trials by the barest of margins.

Campbell stepped away from the pool following the Tokyo Olympics, where she won two relay gold medals and a bronze in the 100m freestyle.

But she and her sister Bronte both decided to make a comeback in a bid to qualify for the Paris Games.

The women’s 100m freestyle field is absolutely stacked at the Aussie trials and Campbell was the unlucky one to miss out on the final.

In Friday’s heats, Campbell’s time of 54.27 was ninth fastest. It was just one hundredth of a second behind teenager Mila Jansen’s time of 54.26.

Meg Harris (52.52) was the fastest qualifier into the final, ahead of Mollie O’Callaghan (52.57), Shayna Jack (52.65), Bronte Campbell (52.95), Olivia Wunsch (53.30), Emma McKeon (53.61), Brianna Throssell (53.78) and Wunsch. Ariarne Titmus was 10th fastest in 54.37.

Campbell’s personal best is a blistering 52.06 set in 2016.

She will race the B final and get another chance to qualify if she finishes in the top two in the 50m freestyle on Saturday, but the result marks an end of an era for the sprint freestyle legend.

Her split for the first 50m of 25.37sec was the second fastest in the field, but she faded down he second lap.

“I can’t believe we’re sitting here talking about Olympic trials and we don’t have a Cate Campbell in the 100m freestyle final,” Giaan Rooney said on Channel 9’s coverage.

“I was watching Cate in the marshalling area before she swum,” Ian Thorpe said.

“That was quite a nervous looking Cate Campbell sitting there, knowing that this is her moment to qualify.”

The 32-year-old made her debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has been a key part of Australia’s all conquering 4x100m freestyle relay that has won the past three Olympic golds and repeatedly shattered the world record.

Campbell swam in the relay final in London, Rio and Tokyo, but the team will have to defend their Olympic title without the veteran.

Despite Australia’s incredible depth in the sprint freestyle ranks, only the top two swimmers in Friday’s final will get to swim the 100m freestyle in Paris.

McKeon is the defending Olympic champion but the emergence of O’Callaghan, Harris and Jack represents a changing of the guard in the blue riband event.

The top six swimmers should be selected for the 4x100m freestyle relay.

Emily Seebohm was also vying to qualify for a fifth Olympics but fell short despite qualifying for both the 100m and 200m backstroke finals.

Meanwhile, distance freestyler Sam Short has pulled out of the 1500m freestyle final as he battles gastro and illness.

Short qualified in the 400m freestyle and was second in the 800m freestyle just outside the qualifying time, and he should get the chance to swim the 1500m in Paris.

The 20-year-old won medals in all three events at last year’s world championships.