Distance runner Terrance Armstrong is under no illusions about what lies ahead when he steps out for the 3,000 metres steeplechase final at Mar del Plata's Municipal Sports Park late this afternoon.

Kenya's crack track team saw to that at last summer's Commonwealth Games in Canada.

If Armstrong ever had any doubts about the huge gulf existing between college and international competition, then the Kenyans were quick to erase them.

Tactics went out of the window as the Africans poured on the pace, leaving all but a handful of the field strung out around the track.

The Kenyans, of course, aren't in Argentina. But Armstrong doesn't expect it to be much different here at the Pan-Ams.

The very fact that his best time of 8:56.15 leaves him seeded 11th in an entry of 12 suggests this race will be yet another he can put down to experience.

"I don't think the race will go any differently than it did in Victoria,'' said Armstrong as he spent yesterday relaxing in the Games Village. "There are some very fast athletes in the field, and I believe it's going to be a fast race.

"I've just got to go out and hang on as long as I can and hopefully get a PB (personal best) out of it.'' Having only competed indoors this year, today's steeplechase will mark Armstrong's first in several months. "I've been outdoors in the cold weather training over some hurdles but indoors we don't race steeplechase so it's been tough preparing. Hopefully I can go out there and use my strength to carry me through. "I'd like to sit in the middle of the pack and try to get carried along. I definitely don't want to have to work from the back which is what happened in Canada.'' Fastest man in the field on paper is Brazil's Wander Do Prado Moura who claims a best of 8:23.00 while Uruguay's Ricardo Vera boasts 8:25.53. And while Canada haven't brought their top steeplechaser, Graeme Fell, they have a potential medallist in Joel Bourgeois who has run 8:31.19.

Armstrong races just three days after an eighth place finish in the final of the 1,500 metres, which he considers the stronger of his two events.

Reflecting on that run in which he clocked 3:53.71, some seven seconds outside his personal best, Armstrong admitted he continued to suffer from "big race nerves.'' "I was feeling good and I felt I should have been right up there. But for some reason I was nervous, which made me uptight and I was very unsure of myself. It's something I've got to keep working at. I thought I might have got over that at the Commonwealth, but I guess it's still there. I've got to get it into my head that this is just another race and I deserve to be in the field.'' Joining Armstrong on the track today will be Jennifer Fisher who competes in the 800 metres semi-finals, fresh from her record breaking performance on Sunday when she set a new Island 1,500 metres mark of 4:29.77.

Fisher's best 800 of 2:07.57 ranks her ninth among the 12 semi-finalists although only two runners -- Brazil's Luciana Mendes (1:58.22) and American Meredith Rainey (1:59.90) -- have broken the two minute barrier.

Her race is scheduled at 4.00 p.m. (Bermuda time) with the steeplechase following an hour later.

Water skier Kent Richardson finally arrived in Argentina late on Monday after a mix-up over his air ticket at Miami airport forced him to overnight in that city.

Competition on Rio Parana, some 500 kilometres north of Buenos Aires, begins today but Richardson, who is entered in the slalom and tricks events, won't see action until early tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, the Island's karate team are scheduled to arrive in Buenos Aires today where they will be the last of Bermuda's Games contingent to compete on Friday and Saturday.

Eugene Ford, Roger Trimm and Nigel Williams are entered in the individual and team kumite division while Bobby Smith will compete in the kata class.

TERRANCE ARMSTRONG -- "It's something I've got to keep working at...I've got to get into my head that this is just another race and I deserve to be in the field.''