Some of Bermuda's top junior triathletes will be travelling to Magog, Quebec, this week to test themselves in two tough events.

The youngsters, members of the Tri Hedz junior triathlon club and Dave Morrison's TRex training group, will tackle the Canadian Eastern Junior Triathlon Championships for ages eight to 15 and the Canadian National Triathlon Championships for ages 16-19.

Due in no small part to Simon Whitfield's triathlon gold medal performance for Canada in the Sydney Olympics, the sport has taken off at a junior level in Canada, and especially in Quebec.

Last year the TRex group and guest junior Matthew Herring travelled to Toronto to compete in the same championships. Also competing were Ashley Roberts, Robyn Dickinson and Kaitlin Miller of the Tri Hedz club. They found some tough competition with a third place the best showing by Tim Fox and Miller.

Leading the Bermuda challenge in the 16-19 Canadian Junior Triathlon Championships this year will be Geoffrey Smith, Khamari Greaves, Coyatito Smith, Dominique Nannette and Flora Duffy.

Last year the aforementioned Herring took 19th place after starting the run in third, while Roberts finished 22nd.

This year's juniors will be hoping to emulate or exceed those placings but will find it hard against some very strong Canadian juniors looking to take the national title and qualify for one of three spots on the Canadian team to the Junior World Championships in New Zealand in December.

Last year only a time of under one hour five minutes landed a top 20 finish amongst the junior males. Many of the Canadian juniors competing are in full time training programmes and include triathletes from the Canadian National Triathlon Centre in British Columbia where Whitfield trains alongside world No.1 female Barb Lindquist from the USA and Greg Bennett from Australia, currently ranked No.2 in the world.

Geoffrey Smith, the winner of the senior AON National Sprint Championships over 750 swim, 20km bike and 5km run, the same distances as in these Canadian Championships, is doubtful as he has damaged ligaments in his ankle. However, if able to compete, he will be favourite to be the first Bermuda finisher although Coyatito Smith and Greaves have shown good form in local races this season.

Nannette has not shown the form he had last year but is known to lift his performance for the big occasions.

With the draft legal format on the bike a strong swim will be important to get into a good pack of cyclists early on. As a result much will depend on how Bermuda's team fares in the water. Anyone missing the pack is likely to lose time on a hilly bike course.

Based on last year's race, Duffy is capable of a top ten finish amongst the junior girls but will need to find her running form to build on her strong bike and swim. She should be out with the lead swimmers which will serve her well if a pack of cyclists gets away from the bunch.

Amongst the younger age groups in the Canadian Eastern Championships a number of Bermuda's juniors have a strong chance of a medal position.

Last year in Wasaga Beach Coyatito Smith and Greaves produced outstanding performances to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the boys 14-15 age group and this year Matthew Godfrey is expected to do equally well. Godfrey had an excellent race in the recent Shell Triathlon and if he can reproduce that form could well finish near the top of the field.

David Lunn, who has dominated the boys eight to nine age group this year, and Nathan Amaral will be ones to watch in the younger age groups.

Bermuda's strongest challenge should come in the boys 12-13 age group with Fox, Geoff Burns, Thomas Godfrey, Justin Collis and the younger Dorian Armstrong and Marc Smith all very talented juniors who have shown excellent form this year.

Amongst the girls Caitlin Conyers will be hoping to be among the medals in the 14 to 15 age group. Last year this was a small but very competitive group so she will have to be in form to get a top three finish.

The Canadian Junior National Championships get under way on Saturday at 6.15 p.m. with the other juniors and Bermuda's adult competitors racing on Sunday morning. The first races are scheduled to start at 7 a.m. on that day.