However whether the 12-year president of the Bermuda Olympic Association is going to heed this advice remains to be seen.

Yesterday Woods could not be provoked into disclosing his hand and kept his cards close to his chest, but he did concede that there had been a request that he reconsider a decision that he made as long as four years ago.

"Yes, I have been asked by several people to reconsider my position but for the moment all I can say is that I have indicated what my position is,'' said Woods without giving any inkling to what the final choice will be.

However, he did recall that it was four years ago when he first gave official notification to the council that he intended to step down after the Sydney Olympics, at the time listing his extended 12-year run as being sufficient for anyone to serve in that position.

And the issue of his retirement surfaced again on Wednesday with his official appearance at a reception for the country's Sydney Olympians -- possibly his last in that capacity.

"I recall indicating to my colleagues four years ago that I will be stepping down after Sydney because I would have done a long term and have sacrificed an enormous amount in the periods and therefore I felt it was only right to finish,'' recalled Woods.

"It's quite possible that Thursday was my last official function for BOA, we will just have to wait and see. We will be having an executive committee meeting next Tuesday at which we will probably name the date for our AGM and during the AGM I will turn the organisation over to the general assembly and we will go from there.'' If Woods does indeed stick with previous plans and walk away after a at the AGM he has made provisions for a replacement -- a process that started back during the early 90s.

Whoever is selected Woods feels that the BOA will nevertheless still be left in good hands.

"I haven't actually spoken to my executives since I have been back from Sydney but I would think that John Hoskins or whoever the council deems fit will take over the position,'' he said.

"In the 12 years I had put in place possible successors, my first plan was to have Jim Amos take over but after the 1992 Olympics he stepped down for personal reasons and then I thought it would be right to identify another and it was Randy Benjamin who later passed away.

"I had originally thought that Philip Guishard would be a good replacement.

However his job with government would not allow that to take place because of a conflict that would make. I know that my executives have put some things in place.'' Sailors reflect on Sydney -- see page 16