A five-time Bermuda champion gymnast will spring into top competition when she represents the Island at the World University Games later this month.

Jenny Wright will be up against the likes of Shannon Miller, the most decorated US Olympic gymnast ever, as well as Rosa Galieva, who represented Russia in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.

The Games are being held in Sicily, Italy and are expected to attract over 5,000 university and college athletes in various sports.

At her first major international meet, Wright will compete in the four regular disciplines -- beam, floor, uneven bars and vault.

"My strongest area right now is probably the beam,'' said Wright this week from her current base in Maryland.

"I'm feeling great. I'm a little bit nervous about the meet but I'm really excited about the experience I will gain from all of it,'' she added.

"At the beginning of the summer I was training every day for many hours. At the moment I'm training about three hours a day, five days a week, which is really quite light.'' A graduate of Bermuda High School, Wright first started gymnastics with the Bermuda Gymnastics Association at the age of seven.

She has represented the BGA at numerous meets against the US both here and in the United States.

Wright won the Bermuda Championships five times and the Vermont State Championships on two occasions.

When she left the local scene to attend the University of Maryland in 1993, her first year was spent recovering from major knee surgery following a gymnastics injury, after which she started competing for the university in the 1994/95 season.

For the last two seasons she has been elected co-captain of the Maryland team.

She has also contributed much time and effort developing young aspiring gymnasts in Bermuda, helping to run the 1996 summer camp at Whitney Institute under the direction of head coach Walid Mustafa.

Plans are underway to include NCAA college teams at the next Bermuda Triangle Challenge to be held at the Southampton Princess in February next year.

"It is hoped that Maryland will be one of the four college teams participating,'' said Jenny's proud father, David Wright.

"This event will give local residents a wonderful opportunity to see high quality gymnastics competition both at club and college levels, and a chance for Jenny to demonstrate her skills on home soil.'' Wright will be accompanied to Sicily by Maryland head coach Bob Nelligan.

For readers with access to the Internet, more information on the upcoming World University Games can be found through one of the links from Jenny's home page at the University of Maryland -- http:/www.wam.umd.edu/wright/.

BALANCING ACT -- Bermudian gymnast Jenny Wright concentrates on the beam during a recent training session in Maryland. She competes at the World University Games later this month in Sicily.