Only Brian Wellman knows if his best days are behind him, so says Bermuda Track and Field Association president Judith Simmons.

Simmons yesterday put a positive spin on the continued presence of the triple jumper at top international track and field events and justified his inclusion in the squad for the Pan-Am Games in the Dominican Republic.

Wellman is one of four track and field athletes who will be heading to the Games which begin at the beginning of August - Xavier James, Tamika Williams and Ashley Couper being the others.

Royal Gazette sports editor Adrian Robson in his Friday Forum column had criticised Wellman's presence at the event and the attempt to have long jumper Devon Bean included, despite the latter having not met the qualification mark.

"As much as Wellman would like to relive past glories, it would now seem that his best days are long gone," he wrote. ". . . it would be magnificent if he could prove the critics wrong. But judging from his last place finish at the CAC (in Grenada recently), it's not likely to happen.

"Wellman could perhaps best serve his country now by bowing out gracefully and using his vast international experience to help develop those who yearn to emulate his success."

Of Bean, Robson wrote: ". . . thankfully, Bermuda Olympic Association had the good sense to reject an appeal by the BTFA to include sprinter and long jumper Devon Bean. No disrespect to Bean, but whenever a major Games appears on the horizon his name always seems to crop up on the BTFA list submitted for approval, despite the fact that he has continually failed to make the grade in international competition . . ."

Simmons, however, disagreed with the criticism of Wellman, pointing out that he had been hit by a string of injuries. He was, though, capable of brushing the setbacks aside and performing at a high level on any given day.

Unfortunately this hasn't happened lately, but she reckoned that the athlete had to be given every chance whenever he was willing to give the effort.

"I think sometimes we are too anxious to throw people away before we actually know exactly where they are, what they are doing and everything else," she said. "Only Brian Wellman can say whether he is up to par with regards to his injuries, we cannot say that.

"We are not close enough to give him a trial because he is based in the United States. He has done so much for Bermuda. He has put Bermuda on the map athletically. His indoor world record still stands and I think he is astute enough to say 'this is the end I can't go any further'.

"If he says to us that he is healthy and can do what needs to be done, or just be competitive, he doesn't have to win a medal. As long as he is competitive I can't see what the problem is. That's basically what he says to us, that he will be competitive."

Simmons went on: "Now, on the day if that doesn't pan out, does that mean he was wrong in saying that at the very beginning? No, because at the point that he said it he is. If something occurs and it doesn't happen . . . well that happens in athletics."

In the case of Bean, she said that the BTFA had no regrets in forwarding his name because the organisation always strived to support its athletes.

"I think one positive thing coming out of this is that it proves that we are for our athletes and that we always work in their best interests," Simmons said. "While Devon didn't meet all of the criteria he did have more than some in that he was a finalist at the recent CAC Senior Championships in Grenada.

"Yes, we did submit his name, which is our mandate to do, but sometimes disappointments are for the best. You may think that they are not . . . then lots of times they work in your favour. In fact Devon went to the Canadian National Championships in Victoria this weekend . . . it spurred him on to do that.

"Everything has its negatives and its positives, you just learn to build on them and that's basically what it's all about."