Australia has a proud tradition of success in women's water polo and coach Greg McFadden expects it to continue at this month's world championships.

While their male counterparts are still searching for an Olympic or world championships medal, the Stingers are focused firmly on another podium finish at next year's London Olympics having claimed the bronze in Beijing.

After a strong showing at last month's FINA World League finals, McFadden is confident his side is well placed to make further progress in Shanghai.

But he stressed preparation for London took precedence over world championships results.

Australia won the inaugural women's water polo event at the 1986 world championships in Spain and added medals at Perth in 1998 (bronze) and Melbourne in 2007 (silver).

"I'd be disappointed if we didn't play in the medal matches (in Shanghai) ... but it's a stepping stone to London," McFadden said.

"The players who perform well here at the world championships, will go a long way to making the team for London.

"If we don't have a good result at the world champs, it's not the end of the world.

"It just gives us ideas at what we need to work on."

The Stingers finished third at the recent World League finals, narrowly losing out to the top-ranked US team 1-0 in the semis.

The Sharks, Australia's men's side, has not enjoyed the same success with the male competition historical dominated by European nations.

They finished sixth at the World League finals in a performance described by coach John Fox as "not acceptable".

Fox, who guided the Australians to eighth place at the 2008 Olympic Games and is himself a dual Olympian, said his players needed to learn to handle pressure situations better.

"We must believe in ourselves that we are capable of matching it with the best teams in the world," Fox said.

The women's team will face Canada, Romania and New Zealand in the preliminary stage while Australia's men are drawn against hosts China, Uzbekistan and Serbia.

AAP