These are heady times for Australia.

Pat Rafter wins the US Open. The country is counting down to the 2000 Olympics. And their athletes absolutely own triathlon.

It doesn't take a genius to make a connection between the latter two.

Triathlon makes its debut as an Olympic sport in three years and what better place for an Aussie athlete to go into the history books.

"Everything I do from now on is for 2000 and the Olympics,'' said Greg Bennett, a Sydney native ranked number two in the world behind countryman Chris McCormack.

Bennett can feel the media spotlight intensifying, and Emma Carney, the world's number one-ranked woman, also in Bermuda, notes that "expectations are high.'' "It's going to be a tough time to be an Australian athlete,'' she says.

But the race to be on the Australian team makes for better results in the short term. Higher finishes in the ITU races translate into points used to determine who goes to the Olympics and it's no coincidence that Aussies make up six of the top ten men's places in the rankings and three of the women's.

Said Bennett: "When I race I'm out to beat them (other Australians) more than internationals.'' Which brings us to tomorrow's big event in Hamilton and the race to see who, if anybody, can knock the Aussies of their perch.

Last year, Dimitry Gaag came out of nowhere to win by 12 seconds over Paul Amey. This year, the Kazakhstan native is ranked fourth in the world but won't surprise anybody.

Gaag burned up the flat, short course a year ago but the addition of nine bike rides up Corkscrew Hill could make things interesting.

Number three Hamish Carter and number eight Brad Beven were originally supposed to compete but are now not expected, leaving potentially a three-horse race between Bennett, Gaag and McCormack.

McCormack, just 24, was seventh a year ago but after a win, a second and two thirds in seven races this year has vaulted to the top. But there has been no two-time winner so far this year and Bennett, a winner on June 30 in Monte Carlo, makes no secret of the fact he wants to be the first.

Conversely, it's news in the women's division when someone other than Carney wins. She's done it four times so far and was second in another race, when another Australian, Michellie Jones took top spot, also in Monte Carlo.

However, it was learned yesterday that Jones had pulled out of the Bermuda race, suffering from a bout of 'flu.

Carney had said earlier: "I hopes she turns up. She blew me away in Monte Carlo and I'd like a rematch.'' Carney, 26, intended to compete in the World Duathlon Championships last weekend but withdrew because of a strained back, injured while climbing out of the pool ten days earlier.

She bristles at mention that her back might put her at any sort of disadvantage on Sunday. "It's not a problem,'' she said.

Carney won handily here a year ago but could be pushed by a pair of rookies, Erika Molnar of Hungary and Mieke Suys of Belgium, ranked third and fourth, respectively.

So dominant has she been that someone has calculated that if she didn't take part in another triathlon, the 5-foot-11 Queenslander would still have enough points to qualify for the Olympics.

True enough, Carney said, "but if I don't I may not be selected for the Australian team.'' Carney and Bennett are both coached by Brett Sutton and have been based in Germany. The Bermuda stop is en route back to Australia, where there's a race in Sydney on October 26, followed by the World Championships in Perth on November 16.

"I want to do well here so I'll be ready when I get home,'' she said.

FACT FILE WHAT: Bermuda ITU World Cup Triathlon WHEN: Sunday. Women's race at 8 a.m.; men's at 10.45 a.m.

WHERE: Front Street, Hamilton WHO: About 120 of the world's top professional triathletes.

COURSE: 1.5-kilometre swim in Hamilton Harbour; 40K cycle through Hamilton; 10K run along Front Street DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Emma Carney (Australia), 1:49.34; Dimitry Gaag (Kazakstan), 1:39.42. Both are entered this year.

PURSE: $85,000 ($10,000 first prize, $7,000 for second and $5,500 for third) DOUBLE TROUBLE -- Australian pair Greg Bennett (left) and Chris McCormack, ranked two and one in the world respectively, will be the men to beat in tomorrow's World Cup triathlon.