Leonhardt is currently ranked number one in the world in the 100-metre butterfly in her class and the next focus is making the Australian team to swim at Mexico.

It comes as a surprise to most as breaststroke is the 16-year-old’s strongest stroke.

But now the former Port Macquarie swimmer is in the box seat to qualify for the world championships in September following the success of Rio 2016.

Since January, Wardrop and Leonhardt have been working hard to improve her butterfly and add a string to the talented teenager’s bow.

“The plan was always to develop the butterfly after Rio so she’s got multiple strokes to make a team in instead of just being a breaststroker,” Wardrop said.

The criteria to make the Mexico team for the world championships is slightly different to the Olympics.

“They’re only taking 20 athletes instead of 36 so it’s a lot tighter which means getting a qualifying time doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a position,” the coach said.

“At the end of the meet, Swimming Australia will go through and rank those qualifying times against the standings from last year to see where you would be ranked and then they select the top 20 athletes.”

There are no spots allocated specifically for male or female athletes, instead it is the top 20 across the board.

“It’s actually harder to qualify for this team than it was for Rio,” Wardrop said.

“When we were setting up our plan for these championships, originally it was to just make the team and go for the experience again.

“It would be the second overseas meet that Paige has competed at.”

Wardrop then made the decision to change his plan six weeks ago with the improvement the teenager was making on the fly.

“We changed that to train for a podium at world’s because her current time would have gotten her a bronze at the Olympics,” he said.

“At the moment she’s number one in the world after posting the fastest time this year for the 100 butterfly.”

Leonhardt’s coach was impressed with how she had taken her Rio experience and described her as more of an “athlete” since she returned.

“When she went to Rio she was still young and my hope as a coach was that she would come back as an athlete instead of being a teenage girl trying to make the team,” he said.

“The thing is now we have until September so we have to make the team in the next couple of days and then from there we improve the times like she did at Rio.”

Wardrop was confident Leonhardt’s times would continue to come down as they had been continuing to do since the Olympics.

“She improved a second from when we made the team to when she went overseas and raced which will be the same philosophy we’re going to have.

“We’re currently sitting on a 1.08.10 time frame for her butterfly and then I’d like to see her swim a 1.07 and then if she gets to Mexico to start swimming 1.06’s which going off what’s happening in the world should put her on the podium.”

The 16-year-old will find out if she has been selected in the team to go to Mexico on Thursday.