representatives take part for the first time in a top international competition.

Five of the Island's best gymnasts left yesterday for Houston, Texas, after receiving invitations to the Pan American International Gymnastics Meet.

Level nine competitors Christina White, Sasha Christensen, Laura Murphy and Lelia Wadson will match somersaults tomorrow against top gymnasts from some 12 countries, including the US, Canada, Brazil and Mexico. Level eight competitor Maria Darby is travelling with the squad as an alternate.

And the learning continues on Sunday when the five-member team travels to Bela Karolyi's Ranch outside of Houston to train under the guidance of the US national team coaching staff for four days. The meet and training sessions are hosted and sponsored by the USGA.

Karolyi is perhaps the world's best known gymnastics coach. His prize pupil, Nadia Comaneci, became the darling of the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the two later defected from Romania to the United States. Karolyi coached the US Olympic team in 1988 and 1992.

"This will be an excellent opportunity for the girls to experience international competition,'' said Bermuda national team coach Walid Mustafa.

Although Island gymnasts have been competing abroad five times a year for the last three years, Bermuda's programme is still in the developmental stages.

"We will do the best we can but realistically we can only judge ourselves based upon our development to date and where we want to be in a couple of years,'' said Mustafa.

And there are indications Bermuda's programme is on the rise. In 1995, they had two gymnasts qualify for the US national championships and in 1996 there were seven. In February, Bermuda hosted their own meet for the first time and next year are hoping to expand the Bermuda Triangle Challenge to three days and possibly include an NCAA meet.

Fifteen Island gymnasts have qualified for the US Regional Championships in North Carolina next month.