Some people might think Tamika Williams should be thrilled right now, having just qualified for her first Pan-Am Games - but she isn't.

Her sights this season are on a higher prize: a ticket to the International Amateur Athletic Federation's (IAAF) World Championships.

So despite clocking two minutes, 6.26 seconds to place second in a photo finish at last weekend's Stanford Invitational in the USA, the Bermudian 800-metre runner is not especially pleased to have gone under the required Pan-Am mark of 2:07.

"To tell the truth I am not super-excited about Pan-Am right now because my goal is to qualify for the World Championships. I am glad I did it and that I have that time but if I didn't have that time I'd be very upset right now.

"For me, I hope Pan-Am is going to be a preparation meet for the World Championships," explained Williams, speaking from her base in California, USA.

For the Worlds, the 'A' standard qualifying time is two minutes flat while the 'B' standard is 2:01.30.

"Those are the times that I am going for right now," she said.

The middle-distance runner added that she and her coach Frank Gagliano had discussed her goals for the season and were thinking the same way.

"If I don't run under 2:01 this year then I probably shouldn't be on the (Nike Farm) team. He expects that of me this year and I expect that of myself.

"I know that time is there. It's just a matter of being in the right condition for it."

The 24-year-old will have ample opportunity to reach her goal given the hectic schedule ahead of her.

Come Easter weekend she will compete in the Mount Sac Relays in Los Angeles followed by the Cardinal Invitational on May 3. She is also hoping to get into the Prefontaine Classic on May 17 and carry forward her season from there with the expectancy that the crescendo will be the Worlds in late August.

Between now and then, each race will be a stepping stone in her plans as was her performance in the Stanford Invitational where, despite being edged out of first place by Linetta Wilson (2:06.25), she was upbeat that certain elements of her race came together.

"I had a really good race. It wasn't a particularly fast time but it was a good tactical race. I ran the race exactly how I was told to run it.

"I was patient throughout the race until the last 200 metres. I started moving up and at 75 metres I pretty much had the race but the girl who won was coming up behind me - she's the NCAA champion in the 400 metres so she has a lot of speed - I guess she had the momentum. I had passed her and then she came back at me. It was just one of those days but I was happy with it.

"I was excited that I actually had speed at the end. I finished my last 200 metres in 30 seconds. That means I was fit enough to have that speed at the end after running almost two laps. I haven't felt that for a long time," said Williams.

"In my work-outs I have been working on being patient and being able to finish strong. My coach told me 'Wait until the last 200 metres. That's when you race'. That's what I did and it worked out."

For an athlete rebounding from the disappointment of an injury-plagued 2002 there's nothing better than starting a new season with promising form. Williams attributes this early success to a harder work ethic and a stronger bond with Gagliano.

"I have developed a better trust in my coach. We're developing a better relationship. He has put in a lot of effort with me lately and it's really showing.

"Even in practice I am doing things without much effort whereas last year I was struggling to keep up with my teammates and trying to keep healthy because I kept getting injured. I'm very comfortable with the work-outs and the distances we're doing now and things are moving along, really looking up."

That's exactly how she wants them to continue.