"I think everyone's dream when they are little is to be running across a finish line, being first, second or third, getting a medal. It has always been a dream of mine."

For triathlete Tyler Butterfield it is now all about turning fiction into fact, the dream into reality.

This year has certainly been a turning point for the 19-year-old Bermudian.

As well as competing in the various International Triathlon Federation events, Butterfield has also represented Bermuda at both the Commonwealth Games and at the recent World Championships.

At Manchester Games he came 14th in a top class field, while at the Worlds in Cancun, Mexico he secured his maiden podium finish, grabbing the bronze in a thrilling sprint finish.

While he is the first to admit he has a long, long road ahead of him, Butterfield has begun to come of age and he now feels able to set his sights on the biggest prize in sport, period.

"I have always wanted to go to the 2004 Olympics but I never would have said it before," he said on a visit to his homeland from his base in Queensland, Australia. "I didn't want to put the idea out there and then not be capable. Four years is a long time but now with two years left I will definitely say that I want to go."

His performance at the Worlds definitely justifies his confidence.

With just a few hundred yards to go Butterfield was in second place in the junior sprint and was breathing down the leader's neck.

Then fate struck. Looking over his shoulder he tripped on the carpet leading up to the finish tape, fell over and in doing so gifted second place to a rival.

He managed to get to his feet and crossed the line just ahead of the fast finishing fourth placed man.

"The end feeling is disappointment," said Butterfield reflecting on his performance. "I was aiming for first and I wanted to try and be World Champ.

"If it was any other race I would probably have been happy with third and I wouldn't have worried about it. But at the World Championships the guy who is first can call himself the best in the world for one year.

"I really wanted that title but there is nothing I can do about it. It didn't happen on the day . . ."

If it is possible what that experience has done has made Butterfield even more determined to meet his new challenge.

To make the start line in Athens he has to be in the top 100 triathletes in the world. At the end of this season he is 244th.

Bridging the gap will not be a problem, he feels.

"I train with Brad (Kahlefeldt, Australian professional) and he is just outside the top 50," he said. "We run sessions together and bike together and although his swim is better than mine in the other two disciplines there is no real difference.

"When push comes to shove in a race he can step it up on the run a bit faster than I can but only by a few seconds. So it is promising. If I can get my swim down I am pretty confident that within a year I can get into the top 100."

Butterfield's ranking is based on the 158 points he has amassed in 2002.

"Out of all the races I have done only two races counted for points. They have got me into the top 250. The standard of triathlon, I feel, is not that high until you get into the top 100 so I don't think getting there will be that hard," he said.

In some respects he is already `getting there'. His performances have brought him to the attention of not only rival athletes but also companies that provide that commodity that no sportsman or woman can do without - sponsorship.

He already has one deal with a company in Australia that makes wetsuits but in order to fulfil a calendar next year that includes the Pan Am Games in Santa Domingo and the World Championships in New Zealand he will have to become his own publicist.

It is something he did not feel able to do until now.

"I don't feel it is right to ask for things if I don't feel I deserve them. If I can't see why they would want to sponsor me why would they?" he said.

Butterfield admits he has yet to decide what to do with his long-term future. Whether it lies with sport will depend on what happens if and when he gets to Athens.

"After the Olympics I will make the decision. What I plan to do is train as a full-time athlete until then. Hopefully I make it and from there I will decide whether I like the lifestyle," he said.

"It looks fun because there is a lot of travelling but it can often be quite boring and it's hard work. You have to really like the sport to do it.

"It's easier to justify it when you have success, the bad days and bad training sessions are when it becomes hard.

"When I was training for the World Championships this year there was a couple of points when I asked myself if this was really what I wanted to do.

"So for me, the race in Mexico was my final exam. I had had eight weeks of hard training. I wanted to do well for my country and for myself but for those eight weeks beforehand I had lived just triathlon. I had no life, all I did was train and I wanted it to pay off.

"So you have to weigh up what you are putting in and what you are getting out.

"The Olympics, from what I have heard, is a great experience and I would like to experience it. Even if I don't get a medal or get as high up as I had hoped I know I will learn something from it."