Johnston is on an upward twirl

AUSTRALIA’S leading rhythmic gymnast Naazmi Johnston has downplayed suggestions she’s about to break into the top 20 at next month’s World Championships in Japan.

The Lismore-born gymnast finished 22nd in the all-round event at the Beijing Olympics last year but there will be many more competitors at the world titles than at the Games.

“There will be about 100 competitors at the world championships and some countries that didn’t qualify for Beijing will be there with three or four gymnasts so it will be much harder,” Johnston said.

Incredibly, at the age of 20, this will be Johnston’s third world titles yet she has set herself some fairly modest goals after finishing 64th at the championships in Greece last year.

“I just want to concentrate on doing four good routines and that is all I’m really focusing on,” Johnston said.

While many competitors often feel a letdown after experiencing the highs of an Olympic Games, Johnston’s Beijing experience has had the opposite effect.

She was the only gymnast from that Australian team to go straight back into training. She moved from Brisbane back to Sydney. And she switched coaches.

After spending her entire career unde the guidance of Edith Peluso, Johnston has now linked up with 2000 Sydney Olympian Danielle Leray.

“It feels a bit strange because I’d been with Edith basically my whole gymnastics career,” Johnston said.

“But it is also good to be taking a fresh approach and learning new styles.

“Danielle is great. I’ve known her a long time and she has a good group of young gymnasts that she is coaching at the moment.”

Johnston dominated at the Australian championships in Brisbane last month where she won the all-round competition and the four apparatus finals.

She will lead a fairly inexperienced Australian team that also includes Danielle Price, Chloe Hayes and Janine Murray at the World Championships, which will be held in Mie, Japan, from September 9.

But she will draw on the confidence she gained by competing with the best in Beijing last year.

“It was a great experience to be at such a big event as the Olympics and I really learned a lot,” she said.