Triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice will spearhead an Australian contingent at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix in California next week ahead of the London Olympics, according to Swimming Australia.

Triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice (pictured in March) will spearhead an Australian contingent at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix in California next week ahead of the London Olympics, according to Swimming Australia.

Rice along with breaststroke champion Leisel Jones and Beijing Olympic medallists Hayden Stoeckel, Libby Trickett and Jessicah Schipper will be among a 25-strong Australian team competing in the four-day meet, starting on May 31.

Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent said the Santa Clara meet was an ideal opportunity for Australian team members to gain valuable racing preparation ahead of the London Games in late July.

"This meet has always been well attended by Australian swimmers and with (the state of) Queensland sending some 20 swimmers alone, 16 of whom will be heading to London, this is a very important part of the preparation," Nugent said.

"To be able to race the top US swimmers as they finalise their own preparations is important, and our coaches will have pencilled this meet into their plans from a long way back."

Among the match-ups expected in California, Beijing Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Jones is likely to come up against Jessica Hardy and possibly Rebecca Soni, while Nick D'Arcy could also get the chance to race Michael Phelps again over the 200m butterfly.

Australian swimmers will also compete this weekend at the Canada Cup Mel Zajac International in Vancouver, as well the Speedo Nova meet in Irvine, California.