While much of the focus will be on the Triathlon World Championships in Madeira, Portugal this weekend, three of Bermuda?s leading triathletes will be heading south to compete in the prestigious Panama City Half Ironman.

The event, over a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run has proved popular with Island triathletes over the years and attracts over 1,800 amateur and elite competitors of all ages.

Leading Bermuda?s challenge will be Riaan Naude who has enjoyed considerable success on the local front in the last year.

Naude finished a close second to his brother, Evan, in the National Duathlon Championships and two weeks? ago won the Pirate?s Port Triathlon. He also competed in Panama City last year and, despite some disruption to his training due to injury, put in an excellent performance to place fourth in the 25-29 age group in just over four hours and 57 minutes.

This winter Riaan has put in some solid base training, improved his swimming considerably and is now coached by Canada?s leading coach, Barrie Shepley. Although he has suffered knee problems in recent weeks, he hopes to post a time of around four hours, 45 minutes which should be good enough to put him in contention for a podium finish.

Competing for the first time in Panama City will be Norbert Meyer and Kim McMullen.

Meyer, who has established himself as one of the Island?s leading triathletes in recent years, was a close second to Naude in the Pirate?s Port event. In 2003 he competed in the Great Floridian Triathlon over the Half Ironman distance and took 36th place in his age group in five hours, 42 minutes.

However, in that race Meyer ?blew up? on the run and if all goes well this Saturday he should be closer to five hours which would most likely give him a top ten finish in his age group.

McMullen has also made great strides since she arrived in Bermuda last year but has had limited experience over this distance.

Her only race over the Half Ironman was an encouraging performance last year in the Canadian National Long Distance World Championships Qualifying event in which she finished fourth overall amongst the women and was first amateur woman in a time of 5:42:56.

McMullen, a former leading amateur mountain biker in Canada, has improved her swimming this winter and continues to improve on the bike and run, finishing less than a minute behind Anna Eatherley and Lyn Patchett in the recent RMS 20K road running race.

Her goal in Panama City is 5:15 and if she achieves it she could take a top three position in the 30-34 age group.

As if the competition wasn?t enough, athletes will have to deal with high surf to start the swim and if past years are anything to go by, searing heat. Last year the temperature was over 100 degrees Farenheit.

The only consolation for the field is that the course is very flat.

Meanwhile, on the local triathlon front, this weekend sees the start of the Bermuda Triathlon Association?s ?Triathlon for Beginners Course? for adults, which runs on Saturday mornings for two hours on May 8, 15 and 29.

There has been a positive response to the course with around 30 complete novice triathletes already registered. Deadline for signing up is today at 5 p.m. and forms are available from Sportseller or Winners Edge or from www.bta.bm.