SYDNEY, Oct 9, 2008 (AFP) - Australian world record-holder Leisel Jones is likely to skip next year's Rome world championships as she looks towards the 2012 Olympic Games in London, reports said Thursday.

Jones's coach, Rohan Taylor, said the 100-metre breaststroke Beijing gold medallist would be given an extended period to re-set her goals ahead of the next Olympics.

'You have an athlete who has had an eight-year journey, since she won a silver medal in Sydney, to win a gold medal (in Beijing),' Taylor told The Australian newspaper.

'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.'

Jones has just turned 23 but has already contested three Olympic Games and won eight medals (three gold, four silver and one bronze).

No Australian swimmer has made it to four Olympics, but Jones and Taylor are plotting a course that they believe will extend her career.

'In the next couple of weeks she will get in and start doing conditioning work to get her fitness back and over the next three months we will slowly re-introduce swimming,' Taylor said.

He does not expect Jones to be back in full training until next year and will not rush her to be ready for the world championships selection trials in March.

'I am going to give her time to sort out her priorities and at this point I think she probably won't do worlds,' Taylor said.

'I don't want to have to set a deadline for her. The aim will be to get back to competition sometime 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.'