Championships, he got a medal.

If he wins it again this weekend in Paris, he'll pick up $50,000.

Welcome to what Primo Nebiolo, president of track and field's world governing body, calls "a new era in the sport.'' Wellman and sprinter Troy Douglas, the 200 metres silver medallist two years ago in Barcelona, are Bermuda's only representatives in the championships, which, for the first time, are offering prize money. Almost $2.3 million to be exact.

In addition to the $50,000 available for individual champions, $20,000 for the second-place finishers and $10,000 for third place, $60,000 also will be awarded to anyone breaking a world record.

"I hope the sponsor who put up the prize money will cry because I think there will be many world records,'' Nebiolo, head of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, said this week.

One of them could even belong to Wellman, who, after a so-so 1996 campaign is anxious to find the form that saw him join the world's elite a year earlier.

Wellman's personal best is 17.72 metres, which he leaped in capturing the gold medal at the 1995 World Indoors. Last year, he admits, was not his best and, hampered by a nagging leg injury, he's off to a slow start this season.

He gets his chance to make up for it all this morning, when the meet opens with the triple jump qualification round. The final is Sunday afternoon.

While Wellman has struggled others have soared, none further than Cuban Alicier Urrutia, who broke the world mark last week in a meet in Sindelfingen, Germany.

Urrutia, who is usually overshadowed by compatriot Yoelvi Quesada, had a jump of 17.83 metres, improving by six centimetres the old mark of 17.77 set by Leonid Voloshin of Russian three years ago in Grenoble, France.

Douglas, meanwhile, appears in fine form, finishing second to British star Linford Christie in the 200 metres at the Sindelfingen meet. His time was a decent 21.06 seconds.

Douglas also faces qualifying this morning in the hopes of advancing to Saturday night's final.

Injury rules Ottey out -- Page 16.

SAME AG AIN? -- Triple jumper Brian Wellman (left) and sprinter Troy Douglas will be looking to repeat their success of two years ago when they compete in the World Indoor Championships in Paris this weekend.