sending a message to up and comers such as Tyler Butterfield: Not so fast, young fella.

At 39, Richardson feels he's ready to take the Island by storm when he returns home next month and his performance at the Powerman Duathlon on the weekend only confirmed that. Richardson, living and training in Alabama during the winter, completed the demanding 10-kilometre run, 38-mile cycle and another 10K run in three hours and six minutes.

The former champion water skier finished seventh out of 81 competitors in his age group and was in the top five percent of some 1,000 participants overall.

Richardson competed in the event last year, finishing 16th in his age group with a a time of 3:15. He credited the turnaround to intensive training with US professional Alec Rukosuev and improved cycling techniques.

He said the hot, windy and hilly event was "way harder'' than the Olympic-distance triathlons for which he is training. After competing in the St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida, later this month he heads back to Bermuda to run his waterski school.