Bermuda will once again be well represented at the Triathlon World Championships in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal next month.

Much of the attention will focus on Tyler Butterfield who will be hoping to at least match his performance at the 2002 World Championships in Cancun, Mexico in which he took the bronze medal in the junior elite 16-19 age group narrowly missing out on gold by four seconds after tripping near the finish. After that performance, Butterfield took a break from the sport but then, on minimum training, produced an excellent performance in December last year at the 2003 Triathlon World Championships finishing 8th overall in the Elite under 23 category just over a minute behind the gold medallist.

Since then Butterfield has been training in Australia focusing on improving his swim before hitting the World Cup circuit.

His first two World Cup events against the best triathletes in the world, at Ishigaki, Japan two weeks ago (40th overall) and at Mazatlan Mexico last Sunday (36th overall) , showed that his hard work is paying off as he has posted vastly improved swim times and impressed everyone with his outstanding cycling ability.

Butterfield will again be competing in the Under 23 division on Sunday, May 9 and the course in Portugal with its hilly 40km multiple loop bike section will suit him.

However, the key for him will be the 1500 metre swim as he will need to emerge from the water with or close to the lead pack in order to ride himself into contention at the start of the 10km run with something left in his legs.

Wetsuits are likely to be allowed for the swim which will also work to Butterfield?s advantage. The Bermudian?s biggest strength is his determination and confidence in his ability and he is following a new intense training programme that sees him training as much as six hours a day and any success in Portugal will be on the back of plenty of hard work.

In the age group and junior 16 to 19 events, which take place on Saturday May 8, 26-year-old Jamie Brown, the winner of Sunday?s Pirates Port Sprint Triathlon and the World Championships Qualifying event, has the best chance of finishing in the top half of his age group.

Brown, who will be competing in the 25-29 age group, was a top junior triathlete and duathlete ( run /bike /run) in the UK but took a break from the sport after injury before taking it up again three years ago when he moved to Bermuda.

He has some experience competing at this level having represented Great Britain at the 1997 Junior Duathlon World Championships in Spain ? as a junior he also won the North of England Sprint Triathlon Championships.

After a promising start in Bermuda, Brown suffered an injury setback but finished 2003 on a promising note with a third place finish in the Bank of Bermuda Triathlon.

With some excellent training over the winter, Brown has improved in all three disciplines as was obvious from his solid two hour, 14 minutes finish in difficult conditions at Southside in the World Qualifying Triathlon.

For 16-year-olds Coyatito Smith and Khamari Greaves, these championships will be a learning experience as they take on the world?s best juniors at the 16-19 junior elite level.

Smith, who received a Government grant for triathlon and Greaves, who received a Government grant for cycling, competed at the 2003 Canadian National Triathlon Championships finishing 45th and 52nd respectively so they know that their work will be cut out for them at this event.

Both juniors had excellent performances in 2003 and have held their own at senior level. Smith?s strength is his run whilst Greaves? strength is his bike leg but they will need solid all round performances in Portugal.

Veterans Steve Petty and Jeff Conyers will provide valuable experience for the team as they both compete in the 50-54 age group.

Petty, the Bermuda Triathlon Association?s president, will be competing in his ninth world championships including the last two events in Cancun, Mexico (32nd in his age group) and Queenstown, New Zealand in December (28th).

With over 20 years in the sport, Petty has competed regularly abroad and will be relying on his strong bike leg to put him in contention for a top 30 spot again.

Conyers, like Petty, has been involved in the sport for may years and this will be his third World Championships having competed in Edmonton in 2001 (32nd in his age group) and Cancun, Mexico in 2002 (36th).

The team will be managed by Patty Petty. To follow Bermuda?s triathletes, log on to www.trimadeira2004.com.