The much anticipated international competitive comeback of lethal Leisel Jones will be slightly delayed: the Australian Olympic champion will miss this week's opening leg of the FINA World Cup in Durban because of a virus, Swimming Australia said today.
The 100-metres breaststroke short course world record holder was due to fly to South Africa on Tuesday with the Australian team for the first of five meets for this year's World Cup series. But she will instead stay home in a bid to be fit for the second meet of the World Cup series in Moscow on November 6, officials said.
After winning the Olympic 100m breaststroke title in Beijing and collecting silver over 200m, Jones announced that she would take a break from big international events in 2009. She skipped the world championships but has been training and racing at a lower level throughout her "down" time.
