with his first test over the Olympic distance.

Butterfield, 16, is in Clermont, Florida, for tomorrow's US East Coast Regional Qualifier, where he will take on many of America's top 16-19-year-old juniors who are trying to make the US team for the World Championships.

While Butterfield has dominated the local scene this season, he will be competing over a course comprising a 1500 metre swim, 40 kilometre bike ride and 10 kilometre run. Until now he has only participated in events of half the various distances.

However, Clermont was the scene of Buttefield's win in the US 13-15 junior championships last year, so his familiarity with the course and form in the opening three events in Bermuda should give him confidence.

In particular, Butterfield can draw strength from an excellent swim in the Pirates Port triathlon two weeks ago, as swimming is traditionally his weakest discipline.

The race is the first in a series of events for Butterfield as he prepares for the daunting challenge of the Junior World Championships in Montreal in September, where he will be joined by fellow Bermudian teenager Jonathan Herring.

Butterfield is planning to compete against the USA's best juniors again over the Olympic distance in Rothwell, New Mexico on July 11 and Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on August 8 at the US Nationals. He may also take part in the Canadian Junior Nationals in late July before accompanying a group of Bermuda's top juniors to the British Juniors in Manchester in August.

He finished second in the latter race last year.

Butterfield will then journey to Chicago with the Tri Hedz Junior Club for a final sprint distance race prior to Montreal.

It's a busy schedule, but this level of competition and experience is deemed necessary in the build-up to the Worlds where he and Herring will face athletes of the calibre of last year's winner Tim Don, now one of the top professionals in the world.

The quality of the opposition becomes evident when it is recalled that Australia's Mile Stewart won the senior professional championships at the tender age of 17.

Butterfield knows it is a step into new territory with much stiffer competition than he has been used to, but is looking forward to what he describes as "a learning experience''.