Ashley Couper's Olympic dream has all but faded. But the Bermudian athlete is ready to put two months of injury and sickness behind her this weekend and return to competitive running.

Couper, based at Stanford University in the US, has endured a frustrating time since taking the Front Street Mile title and then setting an unofficial 1500 metres national indoor record at the Husky Indoor Invitational in Seattle, another event she won.

But tearing the plantar fascia in her foot in February put paid to the speed queen's season just at the time she was predicting it was going to be a "big year" and this summer's Athens Olympics was very much on her mind.

That took six weeks out of her schedule and just as she was ready to get back on the track, she was struck down with illness that kept her out of her running shoes for another two weeks.

"The latest news is that I finally feel like I'm ready to put in a decent race," said a clearly delighted Couper this week.

"I feel like I've had so many setbacks this year. Anyway, I've now had several weeks of solid training with no illness or injury ? besides the constant pain in my foot from the torn plantar ? and I'm ready to start racing."

She returns to action in the 1500 metres at the Oracle US Open at her home university on Monday.

"I will race this weekend and hope to race pretty much every weekend until the end of July.

"At this point, because of setbacks, qualifying for the Olympic Games is looking doubtful. However, I still intend to put in one hundred percent effort until the end of the season. I love the sport and just want to do my best and see how fast I can run."