Outdoor Championships in Sweden.

The triple jumper, whose fortunes have sagged in recent weeks, said yesterday he was growing increasingly tired after a hectic year which saw him win the gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

His last two jumps have been below 17 metres and he finished a disappointing fifth a week ago at the London Grand Prix with a leap of 16.84 metres (55 feet, three inches).

That's a far cry from his gold medal jump of 17.72 metres (58-13 ) and his wind-assisted 17.79 metres (58-3) in Madrid last month.

"I've had a number of meets during the year and I'm getting a little fatigued, which is an indication that I need to take a break,'' Wellman revealed in a telephone interview from Arkansas yesterday.

The triple jump spotlight has been seized recently by England's Jonathan Edwards, who appears to be peaking just in time for the Worlds. Edwards missed breaking the world record in London last week, jumping 17.36 metres (581 ), and is coming off two exceptional wind-assisted jumps over 59 feet.

"He'll be everyone's main challenge in Sweden,'' said Wellman, sounding as if he was in awe of his rival. "But all it says to me is what he's done is possible for me, too. I've had some ideas myself as to how far I can triple jump, but I just don't go around telling people.

"If the spotlight's on him that's fine with me because the focus will be on him only and that'll make it easier for the rest of us. Everybody's expecting him to do great things. The pressure's on him. I'm kind of sitting back and people know what I've done before and the expectations are probably still there.'' Wellman will restrict his training to light workouts during the next three weeks.

The triple jump in Gothenburg will take place on August 5 and 7.

The three-time Bermuda athlete of the year said it was his intention all along to take a break before the Worlds, but he is still bothered by a sore left hamstring, an injury he suffered during the Indoor Worlds. The injury prevented him from competing at the Pan American Games in March.

"I've had a few mixed results,'' he said. "The indoor season has obviously taken its toll. But that's neither here nor there because the major goal is to jump far when it counts. Thats what I'm trying to work on right now.'' After beginning the year with consistent first place finishes and jumps well over 17 metres, Wellman was also mired in a slump prior to the Indoor Worlds.

His weakest jump of the year (16.66, 54-8) came just a couple of weeks before the World Indoors.

"Tell everyone not to panic,'' said Wellman.