Coyatito Smith, one of Bermuda?s most promising young triathletes, leaves the Island tomorrow bound for Caledon, Ontario, where he will compete in Saturday?s 16-19 age group of the Canadian Junior National Triathlon Championships.

Smith has already competed in this year?s World Junior Triathlon Championships and recently returned from the Pan American Championships in Edmonton, Canada where he placed 21st in a field of 33 and then took part in an International Triathlon Union Solidarity Camp.

At only 17, Smith is at the younger end of the junior elite age group and will be looking to gain invaluable experience at this level of competition. He?s already aware of the likely medal contenders, having competed against them in last year?s championships in Magog, Quebec and in this year?s Pan Am race.

The favourite will undoubtedly be Ben Adam, who was the highest Canadian finisher at Junior Worlds (25th) and placed second in a sprint finish at the Pan Am Championships and third in last year?s Canadian Junior Championships.

?The important thing on Saturday will be to get out of the swim early so that I can get in a strong pack on the bike. Because the race is draft legal on the bike I need a good swim,? noted Smith, who since his return from Edmonton has been hampered by the lack of pool facilities but has been swimming almost every day in the ocean as well as following a demanding bike and run schedule.

The Caledon Triathlon also incorporates an elite event and will serve as the Canadian age group qualifying event for the 2005 Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii. It will be nationally televised in Canada in mid-August on the TSN channel and the inclusion of reigning Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield and other top professional triathletes from around the world has enticed CBC Sports Saturday to air their four-hour live show from the race site in Caledon.

Smith will be staying with Barrie Shepley, who is race director of the Caledon event and one of Canada?s leading triathlon coaches. He was coach to the Canadian triathlon team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and is the former coach and still a close friend of Whitfield.

Following Saturday?s race, Smith will remain in Caledon for two weeks to train with Shepley and his group of elite athletes before joining coach Dave Morrison and other junior TRex triathletes in Drummondville to race in the Cascades Triathlon, one of six races in the Canadian 16-19 Canadian Junior Elite Triathlon.

After a period of training in Bermuda, Smith will then travel to Clermont, Florida to race on September 19 in the Open elite category in the fourth and last race of the Florida Sprint Series before returning home to race in the Bank of Bermuda Team and Individual Triathlons.