Melbourne, Jan 2 : Aussie swimming champ Stephanie Rice's coach Michael Bohl says that she is "pretty unfit" after staying away from the pool for nine weeks.

Bohl, however, is confident that Rice will be in top shape after she starts her training.

While he is upbeat that Rice will qualify for the world championships in Rome in July, Bohl admits the task will not be easy.

Rice, who needs to be in the top two in her 200m and 400m individual medley events at the national titles in Sydney in March, is already facing competition from rising youngsters Emily Seebohm and Ellen Fullerton.

The 20-year-old was very much in demand after her Beijing success, and Bohl conceded that it was going to be difficult for her to return to training mode.

"That''s the hardest thing," the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

"She''s had the longest break she''s ever had. There was nine weeks where she wasn''t doing too much at all.

"So she went from being quite a very fit person to being pretty unfit and she struggled, not motivation-wise, but getting back into a routine," he added. (ANI)