Tyler Smith reckons he is in the “best form” he has ever been at this stage of the season and hopes that competing on home turf works to his advantage as he targets a top-ten showing in Sunday’s ITU Continental Cup.

The 18-year-old is reaping his rewards for a hard winter training schedule, placing third in the 16-19 elite junior division ITU Continental Cup in Costa Rica in February and ninth at last month’s North American Junior Elite Championships in Sarasota, Florida.

“I’m probably in the best form I’ve ever been in for this time in the season,” Smith said. “I put in a hard winter of high-volume training, and I’m starting to see the results of that in my fitness.”

Smith is competing in the elite men’s field in the ITU Continental Cup and is optimistic of putting in a good display in front of the home crowd, despite carrying a niggling foot injury.

“Unfortunately I’ve been struggling with a foot injury over the last two weeks, which has prevented me from training on the run,” he said. “But hopefully I have the ability to run the 5km on Sunday.

“At this point in the season, and with a nagging injury, I don’t have any extreme expectations. I’m the only junior in the men’s race, so if I could get in the top ten that would be huge.”

The ITU is making its first stop in Bermuda in two decades with about 40 elite international athletes expected on the start-line, among them Eli Hemming, of the United States, and Canada’s Dominika Jamnicky.

“It’s a top-class field with athletes that have had podiums at world junior championships and who have raced on the WTS circuit, the highest level of triathlon, which we will host next year,” Smith said. “Ever since this race was announced I’ve been looking forward to it. Getting to race in town will be fantastic, and the familiar roads will hopefully give me a bit of advantage.”

The Continental Cup event consists of a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run and will be staged in and around Hamilton. “The course is going to be unforgiving,” Smith said. “The use of Corkscrew Hill, as well as some technical turns will make for fast and exciting racing.”

Erica Hawley is also representing Bermuda and the 18-year-old was second at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Elite Championship and fourth at the North American Junior Elite Championships last month.

The ITU Continental Cup forms part of the Digicel Trifest, that will include sprint-distance races for age-group amateurs, races over the same sprint distances to include individuals and teams.