She has come close twice, but Katura Horton-Perinchief is yet to achieve the vital qualifying mark required if she hopes to dive in the Olympics.

The Bermudian ? who must score 244 points in a single competition ? amassed 230 and 228 points respectively at meets in Texas, USA, and British Columbia, Canada, recently.

?I?ve been very close to the target but no cigar. I?m working on it,? she said yesterday.

One dive in particular has been troubling the 21-year-old who is third reserve on the list of individual divers and awaiting final word on whether she has a ticket to Athens this summer. The reverse two-and-a-half twister is Katura?s third dive and had previously been going well but suddenly she has found herself in a slump where it?s concerned.

?I don?t really know what the problem is because it?s usually a very good dive for me. I got 8?s on it at World Cup in Greece but, lately, it?s been giving me some problems.

?In Texas I was diving okay but, in order to make the (244) score, I have to be on ? like straight 6.5?s for every dive.

?I missed the reverse two-and-a-half and I got 5?s which brought my score down 25 points.?

?In British Columbia I missed the same dive,? she explained, speaking to from her university in Texas.

However, saying ?I don?t have a choice?, Katura said she will keep the dive in her arsenal but hopes to polish it up ahead of her two remaining chances to hit the Olympic mark at meets in Italy and Canada.

Despite the fact that time is ticking away, the Olympic hopeful is not perturbed. She expects her performances to pick up again when she refocuses on diving later this month.

?I haven?t been in the pool as much as I should be because of final exams and graduation which is in two weeks,? she added.

?I will get back in the pool seriously about May 20 but, right now, training is taking a back seat to studying.?