Calgary gymnast Kyle Shewfelt has the next 10 months perfectly set in front of him.

As long as he follows the plan, he should be on the podium in Athens next August.

Achievements like the gold he won in the floor event last weekend at a World Cup tour stop in Glasgow, Scotland, are just bonuses along the road to the 2004 Summer Olympics.

"My coach is really good at making a phasing chart -- a peaking chart," said Shewfelt about his mentor, Kelly Manjak at the Altadore Gymnastic Club.

"We have a plan for each week and a yearly plan set for up until after the Olympics. I know when I'm going to be working on my phases, how many routines I'm going to be doing and when I'm going to be competing."

That's just the way the 21-year-old perfectionist wants it, even if the routine has a strict timeline.

"It's not so much strict as it is planned," Shewfelt said. "I love to plan. You have to do that to succeed because you set little goals for each day."

Shewfelt banked on winning the gold last weekend but even though he did succeed, it was a bit of a surprise.

The 5-ft. 4-in. Shewfelt returned to training full time a few weeks before the event. He'd taken some time off following the world gymnastics championships in August, when he won two bronze medals in Anaheim, Calif., leading up to a vacation.

Even with his current rise to stardom -- Shewfelt is the top male gymnast in Canada -- he'd trade all his medals for Olympic gold.

"For sure, definitely," Shewfelt said. "That's what we're trying to do. I'm working hard right now but it's a different kind of work.

"When you're preparing for a big competition -- for worlds or Olympics -- you really focus in and training is all you're doing. Otherwise, I'm relaxing. When you're training for a big event, you're really trying to work on your consistency. It's more of a mental game at that point.

"Right now, I'm just working on physical preparation."

If he does break through to the podium in Athens, he'd be the first Canadian, male or female, to earn a medal in gymnastics at the Olympics.

Shewfelt would become a poster boy for aspiring gymnasts from coast-to-coast.

"Hey, I'm there," Shewfelt said. "I'll accept that role.

"I think people should respect gymnastics more, it's a great sport.

"If I was to win, I'm sure that would do good things for me and for my reputation. I would love to be the first one to do it.

"I don't want to concentrate on that too much, though, because it kind of freaks me out."

Well, as long as he sticks to the schedule, nothing should worry him too much.

Right now, the Shew is on the right footing.