Brian Wellman still has a burning desire to be the best triple jumper in the world.

That message was spelled out very clearly both on the track at the Tyson Invitational indoor meet in Arkansas on the weekend, and again yesterday when the Royal Gazette spoke to the top jumper about his aspirations in this Olympic year.

"I have the ability and the tools to beat anybody and win the Olympic gold,'' the 32-year-old said.

"I've got everything I need, all the physical and mental tools for whatever it takes for me to win the Olympic gold medal, bottom line.

Wellman leapt 55ft 103 ins (17.02 metres) to win the triple jump on Saturday near his home in Arkansas. It was just short of the 56ft 41 ins he managed at the university of Southwest Missouri in Springfield last summer.

"This meet was local for me, I was just working on some things we had been working on in practice, just trying to get geared up for the outdoor season,'' he explained.

"To put it in perspective, the jump that I won the Tyson Invitational Indoors wasn't even my best performance. My second round jump that I fouled was significantly better than my best jump, so I know I'm ready to jump that far.'' Dogged by injuries over the last couple of years, Wellman scoffed at suggestions that his career might be on the decline. He still harbours a burning ambition to be the best.

"Health is the biggest factor,'' Weldon said.

"Putting together as many seasons as I've done back to back, as much abuse as you put your body through, jumping, lifting and all the other things that I do, at some point your body breaks down.

"In the last couple of years my body has said, `hey, I can't take this' which results in injury.'' But even at the risk of injury, Wellman will push himself to the limit to achieve his goals.

"I never half-step anything, never,'' he stated emphatically. "You can call Dick Booth, my coach, and ask him about Brian Wellman and how he looks at triple jumping. He'll tell you `he comes strapped with his hard-hat every day, not just one day a week or because it's an Olympic year but every day.' "And that's how I've always looked at it. The highlight of my day is practising. This is not pretend for me.'' Wellman trains for two gruelling sessions a day, six days a week. In fact on Monday in training he leapt 54ft 10ins from just eight steps, down from his usual full approach of 18 steps.

"On Monday afternoon, two days after my competition, if you had seen me in practice you would understand what I'm talking about,'' Wellman explained.

"It is the furthest I have ever jumped in my life from that approach. That tells me if I just jumped a lifetime PB for eight steps in practice what I will do when I get in shape and run from a full approach.'' Wellman will sit down with his manager and coach and decide on what events he will compete in this year, all no doubt geared towards the Sydney Olympics in September.

"If I do what I plan on doing this year I might be back for the next one to defend my title,'' he said.

Wellman's success internationally in the early and mid-1990s resulted in five straight Athlete of the Year Awards, the only male to win back to back titles.

Tonight a new Athlete of the Year will be crowned, and though the ace jumper won't be in the running, he certainly cannot be ruled out in the future.

"But that's not a goal of mine, my goals are more lofty than that,'' he says of a possible sixth award.

"The years I have put in full training without injury have been the years you have seen the results.

"1995 was probably the best year so far in my career. All season I was healthy and I started the season off jumping well and just kept rolling from there. That was the key to the whole situation.'' Confident: Triple jumper Brian Wellman is aiming for the very top at this year's Olympics.