Tyler Smith is heading into the World Triathlon Cup San Pedro de la Paz in Chile tomorrow full of confidence.

Smith will be among a strong field of 65 in the men's elite race. Fresh from finishing fifth at the Europe Triathlon Cup in Ceuta, Spain, the Bermudian is counting on that result to secure a good position.

“I feel confident as I had a really good training leading into this,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

“I spent nearly six weeks at altitude in France after the CAC Games and I was there preparing with my entire training group.

“I trained with Vasco Vilaca and he went on to become world champion, while other guys in the group also got really good results.

“I went to that race in Ceuta and finished fifth in a sprint finish. So I know that the fitness is there from that big block of training that we did in the summer.

“I’m just looking to carry the momentum and have three really good World Cup results in the next four weeks, between this race, the one in Iquique and then the last race in New Zealand.”

Up against a formidable field, the Olympian is counting on his fitness to pull him through.

“It’s a strong line-up like at every World Cup,” he said.

“Now that we’re into the Olympic qualifying period, there’s quite a mix of people racing, the top-ranked guys are going to be phenomenal runners.

“But there’s also a handful of really strong swimmers in the group, so it’s really not clear how it’s going to play out.

“Ideally, a group of us can tag on to the really strong swimmers and create some separation, but it’s going to be difficult to hold off the runners coming from behind.

“My feeling is that in all likelihood this will come down to a 10km run, but no matter what the scenario, I’m prepared.

“If it's a breakaway, I hope I'm there, and if it comes down to a run race I know I can put myself in a good position and be battling for at least the top 15 over a 10km run.

“I’ve done the training and prepared exactly for this type of race. I’m just excited to be on the start line and give it my best.

“I haven't finished outside the top ten in any race I've completed, but this is going to be at a different level.”

So far, only his eighth-place finish at the Americas Triathlon Championships in Antofagasta has counted towards his Olympic qualification.

“The Pan American Championships in Antofagasta gave me some really good points because I was eighth in the continent,” the 28-year-old said.

“Eighth in all of the Americas is pretty strong, but now I need at least another four races before the end of May next year to count.

“Hopefully, I get three races now and then I can do one or two races at the beginning of next season.

“These next three races all contribute towards my Olympic ranking and that’s why they’re quite important.

“This is where it starts to matter and the idea would be to get good results now so that I go into next year with a bit of a cushion.

“That gives me an opportunity to plan my season and have a little bit more confidence in my qualification pathway for LA28.”

Having made his Olympic debut in Paris two years ago, Smith is looking to improve his world ranking of 177th to stay in contention for LA28.

“I started the year outside the top 400, so it’s been a pretty good progression to get to 177th,” he added.

“Importantly, to become eligible for the Olympics you need to be in the top 160, so after this weekend I should basically be there.”