Jones may skip worlds

Olympic champion Leisel Jones is likely to skip next year's world championships in Rome in an effort to prolong her career through to the London Games in 2012.

Jones burst on to the scene as a 15-year-old at the 2000 Sydney Games with silver in the 100 metres breaststroke and has dominated the discipline since, finally winning her first individual Olympic title when she won the event in Beijing.

"I am going to give her time to sort out her priorities and at this point I think she probably won't do worlds," Rohan Taylor said. "I don't want to have to set a deadline for her.

"The aim will be to get back to competition some time in 2009 when she feels ready.

"That allows her to do some other things, start planning for her life after swimming, and time to get excited about competing again."

Taylor said the decision not to rush back into the pool would allow them to plan through until 2012.

"You have an athlete who has had an eight-year journey to win a gold medal," Taylor said.

"It's taken eight years to tick that box, that's been her driving motivator. Now we have to find a new way for her to approach the sport."