Triathlete Jonathan Herring learned yesterday that his appeal to Bermuda Olympic Association to be reconsidered for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, next month, had been turned down.

Herring posted a time of two hours and 11 minutes in the recent Nike Victoria International Triathlon, failing to meet the Games qualifying mark of 2:07.

However, he later discovered from race organisers that the 10K run course had been incorrectly measured and was too long.

The error was uncovered after it was noted that run times were some five to six minutes slower than last year's race. It was eventually determined that the turnaround point for the four-lap run had been accidentally moved some 200 metres by a volunteer.

Bermuda Triathlon Association officials believe that at the pace Herring was running, the additional distance would have taken him an extra six minutes and three seconds. Subtracting that from his official time, he would have finished the event in 2:04.57, well inside the qualifying mark of 2:07.

The BTA requested that his adjusted time be considered by the BOA and although this request was turned down, an appeal with the support of Les MacDonald, president of the International Triathlon Union, was lodged.

However, at a meeting on Tuesday night that appeal was thrown out.

Meanwhile, the local triathletes who have qualified for next month's Games will all be competing this weekend as they continue their preparation.

Kent Richardson and Karen Smith are heading to Hamilton, Ontario, to take part in Sunday's Ontario Triathlon Championships. Both will be competing in the elite division which allows drafting on the bike as will be the case at the Manchester Games.

Among their competition on Sunday will be some of Canada's top professional triathletes.

Tyler Butterfield, meanwhile, will compete here in Bermuda on Saturday at the AON National Sprint Triathlon Championships.

Butterfield is still hoping to be accepted for the International Triathlon Union World Cup races in Edmonton, Canada and Hanover, Germany which both take place in July before the Games.

The 19-year-old continues to focus on his swimming, aware that if he can emerge from the water in Manchester with the leading swimmers his chances of a top ten finish will be high.