Ashley Couper believes the records could keep on tumbling as she enjoys what is fast turning out to be her best year on the track.

The Bermudian middle distance runner has already shattered the national 1,500 metres record twice in two years and believes she is on course to lower it still further this coming weekend.

But while Couper, who runs for Stanford University in California, is overjoyed at her own recent successes she wishes there were other Islanders to give her a run for her money.

Couper said she had to leave for the US to really achieve her potential and has accused the Bermuda Track and Field Association of failing to nurture the nation's talent.

The 23-year-old, who won the Front Street Mile in January, shattered the 1,500m record by more than five seconds at the Mt Sac Relays in California two weeks ago.

A week later at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia she was part of the 4x800m Stanford Team which smashed the school's own record at the distance.

"I was pretty confident going in that I was at least going to run close to my personal best, which was the record I set last year,'' said Couper of her 1,500m run.

"I took the lead from the beginning because it seemed like the safest place to be. A lot of times I get caught in the pack and I either can't get out of it or I'm running in lane two which isn't good either.

"I had the lead for the first lap and then a woman from the Mexican team took the lead and I just tucked in behind her for the whole race.'' With the climax approaching Couper made her move.

"The last 100m to 150m there were three of us, me, the Mexican woman and another girl who was just on my shoulder,'' she said.

"I just felt really, really good and I just went for it. I won my heat in a time of 4:23.05 and I think that was fourth place overall.'' Couper said she could not hide her excitement when she heard the time.

"I was hoping this year to better the time but I didn't know I would be able to do it by that much,'' she said.

"When I first finished the race I was really emotional and teary eyed -- I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it last year either, it seemed like a goal at the time that I wasn't going to be able to do and then I did it.'' In the Penn Relays last Friday, Couper ran 4:25 in the 4x1,500m and led her team to second place. A day later her focus was the 4x800m.

"Again I ran the lead-off leg and I ran my fastest time at 800m so far by about a second and a half -- 2:06.9,'' she said.

"I handed off in the lead and we ended up placing sixth. I think all the teams had really good runners this year because our time would have won it last year. They were all really good, but we broke our school record by about four seconds.'' Couper said she was brimming with confidence and aimed to take that into the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford this Friday and Saturday's local derby with the University of California at Berkeley.

"It's been really great. I went on a short run this morning and somebody asked me if I was getting tired of running and I'm not at all, I'm getting more and more excited about it as the season goes on,'' she said.

"I have qualified provisionally for nationals (NCAAs) in the 1,500m but that doesn't necessarily mean I get to go. They have an automatic time which is 4:19 and then they have a descending order of provisional times.

"So I might get in with my time but I'm hoping to run the automatic time this weekend or at least lower my time so I stand a better chance of getting in.

That's my immediate goal.

"Right now I'm not really wanting to set lofty goals of Olympics 2004 or anything like that. I just want to see how it goes and take things as they come -- whatever happens happens.'' Reflecting on the national programme here in Bermuda, Couper said she was disappointed she had little or no local competition.

"It's not a very great programme. They lose all their women by the time they are 16,'' she said.

"There is so much potential in Bermuda and they are just not tapping into it at all. They totally lose interest and stop running.

"There are a couple of women who are running in the States but they are being driven away by something. I'm not sure exactly what it is. They are losing interest and not being encouraged.

"When you look at the National Championships where the younger kids run, they have tons of potential and they should be encouraged. They could be really, really great but something is lacking there for sure.'' Couper said she was not the only Bermudian athlete who felt this way.

"I have talked to Jennifer Fisher who holds the 800m (national) record and held the record for the 1,500m before I broke it and she is really disappointed in it too. I have also spoken to Anna Eatherley. It's hard to be the only person running out there -- it's much easier when you have other people to run with,'' she said.

Setting new standards: Middle distance runner Ashley Couper, who has more national records in her sights.