Bermuda's 1500 metres star Terrance Armstrong is aiming high as he prepares for the Pan-American Games, which get underway in two weeks' time.

Armstrong, fresh from his silver medal success at last month's CAC Championships in Barbados, is aiming for a top six finish in Winnipeg, Canada, and a time good enough to qualify for next year's Olympics.

While acknowledging that he has set himself a tall order, the 27-year-old, who is based in Arlington, Virginia, believed he was in good shape.

"I am going out on a limb and saying that I want to place sixth or better -- but the field will be tough with some strong South Americans, Americans and Canadians,'' said Armstrong.

"My best time this year is only 3:42.22, but training's been going well and I feel I've got some good races ahead.'' Armstrong's CAC silver was a hair's breadth away from being gold, as his time of 3:46.77 was three hundredths of a second behind Mexican winner Rudolfo Gomez.

Having got over the initial disappointment of narrowly missing out on gold, Armstrong can now look back on that effort with satisfaction.

"Looking at it retrospectively, I would say it was one of my best ever tactical races,'' said Armstrong. "Tactically, I couldn't have done much better.

"It was a tactical rather than a fast race, as I discussed with the coach Gerry Swan.

"But what was disappointing is that I had competed against Gomez before in Vancouver, Canada, and I beat him.'' Last year was a successful one for Armstrong, producing a personal best of three minutes, 41.97 seconds, which is also a Bermuda record.

And in Kuala Lumpur in September, Armstrong reached the final of the Commonwealth Games 1500 metres and placed eighth in a tough ten-man field, which included some of the world's top middle distance runners.

But to meet Olympic qualifying standards and earn his place in the 2000 Sydney Games, Armstrong must shave more than two seconds off his best and run 3:39.5.

"My dream is to make the Olympics and I'm still punching the spikes into the track in training and trying to make it happen,'' said Armstrong. "Maybe I'll do it at the Pan-Ams.'' Armstrong has been based overseas for eight years and trains at Georgetown University, Washington.

Conditions have been tough for running lately in the US capital where a heat wave has produced temperatures of more than 90 degrees, plus high humidity.

"It's a superb place to train,'' said Armstrong. "I get some great coaching and I'm working with some of the best athletes in the States and it's all about a mile away from my house.'' Armstrong works for Washington firm Carramerica Realty and is grateful to his employers for allowing him to continue his top-level running career.

"My work is based around my running, not the other way round. They hired me knowing my dream was to go to the Olympics and they have been very supportive.'' Armstrong was competing in a meet in New Jersey last night, before travelling to Boston for another on Saturday. He said he expected both to be fast races in his final preparations for the Pan-Ams.

He will fly out to Winnipeg in two weeks' time.