A trip to Bermuda may be reward for 14 members of the Canadian women's water polo team for qualifying for the 2000 Olympics in Australia. But there's no chance of them being distracted by the idyllic setting.

With Sydney a `done deal', after a last second effort gave them a thrilling 6-4 victory over the United States, there's still plenty to look forward to as they set their sights on a medal Down Under.

The Canadians are still training every day to prepare not only for Sydney 2000 but also the Pam-Am Games next month on home soil in Winnipeg when they will renew their rivalry with their North American neighbours.

"The pressure of qualification is off, now we can concentrate on building the team,'' said David Hart, director of the men's and women's water polo programme in Canada and also assisant to head coach Daniel Berthelette.

And while the women were out and about taking in the sights of Bermuda yesterday, the coaches were stuck indoors going over strategies.

"When we discussed our training plans last year we were anticipating and hoping for a very positive result at the Olympic qualification,'' said Hart.

"What we wanted to do was have a chance to go somewhere as a bit of reward but also as a way to refocus ourselves and plan for the whole next year. In fact, that's what Dan and I have been doing for three days.. .sitting in our hotel room designing the training plan right through to next year.

"While we're planning the schedule we are staring out of our window at the beautiful sight.'' So far three of the six teams who will compete in the women's competition in Sydney have qualified -- Canada, Holland and Australia who automatically qualify as the hosts. And while the United States can still earn a berth the Canadians have the luxury of knowing that they can start planning their trip.

"Next year in May in Italy there will be another big qualification tournament when three spots will be available,'' Hart explained.

"But probably one of those three spots will be given to the highest ranking Asian team. So therefore the United States will only have a chance for one or two spots.

"It would be nice for us to have the United States in there because Europe tends to dominate water polo, especially on the men's side, and it would be good for water polo around the world to have two teams from North America.'' Added Hart: "The spot we secured was for the best team in the Americas so it was either Canada or the United States that were going to go through.'' Competing at the Olympics has been a long-time dream of Marie Claude Deslieres, the veteran of the team at the age of 32. She has been with coach Berthelette for 20 years, stretching back to their time together at the CAMO Club in Montreal.

"She's a mother of three and has played in three World Championships,'' said Hart. "This will be the very first women's Olympic event and this is a dream for her. She actually retired in 1992 or '93 and when we found out that women would be included in the upcoming Olympics, Daniel called her to tell her the news and see if she wanted to come back.

"It's been something she has been training for since playing as a young girl, never thinking she would have the chance because there was no women's water polo in the Olympic Games. There were people in Canada and three or four other countries pushing to try to get it in but they never knew if it would happen.'' While in Bermuda, the players have been water skiing with triathlete Kent Richardson, scuba diving and swimming at Horseshoe Beach. A trip on the ferry from Dockyard to St. George's is also planned.

"It's kind of a mental break, also, because mentally it's very demanding,'' said Hart.

Members of the team range in age from 18 to 32.