China's Olympic champion Luo Xuejuan is unlikely to compete at the World Swimming Championships in Australia this March, according to national head coach Zhang Yadong.

"Luo is still not fit. She needs further rest and is unable to take part in daily training," Zhang said.

Zhang added that he had no idea when exactly Luo would return.

Poor health has dogged the 2004 Athens champion for months, casting a shadow on her prospects for the 2008 Olympic Games.

She was excluded from the Doha Games roster announced last September because of lingering health problems.

The swimming prodigy was hospitalized in Beijing for over a week last month before returning home to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

But she has yet to appear at her Hangzhou training base.

Another question for Luo is over who will coach her once she is fit and back in the national team.

Zhang was her coach until he was promoted to national head coach in 2005.

Luo rowed with replacement Tao Rong and repeatedly asked for a replacement.

Zhang turned down Luo's request, and reports said Luo deliberately slowed down in her qualification for the national championships and world short-course championships last year in response, leading to her absence from the two tournaments.

(China Daily January 12, 2007)