Star triathlete Matt Hauser has made up a 20-second deficit to spearhead Australia's first mixed relay world championship since 2017.
Hauser, also a member of the team that last won the title eight years ago, anchored the four-member combination in Hamburg, Germany.
It came a day after the two-time Olympian won the World Triathlon Series round in Hamburg to retain his No.1 ranking.
The Australian relay team featured fellow Paris Olympians Sophie Linn and Luke Willian, plus Emma Jeffcoat.
Hauser posted the fastest split of 17 minutes 53 seconds over the 300m swim, 6.6km bike and 1.6km course.
That gave Australia the title in one hour 16 minutes 52 seconds, beating France by three seconds with Germany a further four seconds behind in third.
Germany had won the past two world mixed relay world titles and took out the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, where Australia was well off the pace in 12th.
It is the first time Australia has been on the mixed relay world title podium since taking bronze in 2019.
"Team Australia back on top of the podium for the first time since 2017 ... I can't be happier," Hauser said.
"We set ourselves the goal of a top five and when I saw that I could fight for the podium I just thought, 'Let's go!'''
