Peter Bromby and Lee White arrived home from the Atlanta Games with heads held high.

"When we went I was thinking we had a realistic shot at winning and we also had a shot at coming 15th, both of them were within our capabilities,'' said Bromby, who acted as skipper in the Star class, with White as crew.

"Unfortunately it was disappointing that we were 13th, because we certainly worked harder during the last four years than 13th place would indicate.'' "We're not as upset as one would think, because we also realise it's some of the toughest competition in the world, we just didn't have our day at the time and maybe another day it would be different.'' It was the second Olympic experience for Bromby, largely regarded as the Island's premier sailor, who got his baptism four years ago in Barcelona.

However, one could almost see a glow around White, who was coming off his initial foray at the quadrennial spectacle.

"Obviously I was very disappointed (about the placing), but the experience of going to the Olympics is one which you won't forget for a very long time. It would have been nice to come home with a higher finish than we actually did, but we certainly learned a lot and hopefully we'll be able to put those experiences together for good use in the future,'' he said.

"It was definitely worth it, a little disappointing after all is said and done, but definitely worth it.'' And what of making a bid for Sydney? Both White and Bromby said that they had not considered such a venture at this point, preferring to turn their attention to their families... and getting back to their `real' jobs.

"At this point we're just glad to be home, we're going to relax, go back to work and just put sailing on the back burner for a little while and then reevaluate where we go from here,'' said White.

Also returning Monday was national track coach Gerry Swan, who held nothing but praise for the three member group containing sprinters Troy Douglas (200 and 400 metres) and Devon Bean (100 metres) along with triple jumper Brian Wellman.

Swan lauded the trio for their respective performances among a a record number of entries.

"Overall I think we performed well,'' said Swan. "When you look at the fact that there were 197 countries -- by far the biggest Olympic Games -- and we end up getting a sixth, semi-finals, two national records...I think our track athletes performed really well.

"Brian got sixth place, which is a very good position in any Olympic Games, in any event, in any discipline. Yes we went there with the hopes and aspirations of being in the medals but certainly a sixth place finish is something for which we can feel very proud about.'' Douglas set two national records in the 400 metres and 200 metres. He got as far as the semi-finals of the 400 and the quarter-finals in the 200.

Swan was particularly proud of Bean, the young pup of the trio at just 20-years-old.

Bean, set to enter his second year of college in California this fall, was eliminated in the first round of the 100 metres heats, but could be a star if he can maintain his progress.

"Devon is only 20 and I think four years down the road we'll see some far more exciting things from Devon. The thing that I was very impressed from him was that the experience and exposure at the games really whetted his appetite for the 2000 Games,'' added Swan.

"The other thing that really struck me about Devon was that he had a very good mind set coming into the competition, despite the fact that his preparation was handicapped by (a hamstring) injury before the Olympics.

"He's fully healthy, but he lacked race fitness. He was in the mix of things for the first 60 metres, but his lack of race fitness showed during the last 30-40 metres.''