Tyler Butterfield said he will definitely represent Bermuda at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, provided it is part of a mixed relay team.

Butterfield hopes to unite with Flora Duffy, Tyler Smith and Erica Hawley for the super-sprint-distance event, featuring a 300-metre swim, nine-kilometre bike and 2km run.

Butterfield, Duffy and Smith have provisionally qualified for the Gold Coast in April, while Hawley is close to meeting the standards set by the Bermuda Triathlon Association, which have been ratified by the Bermuda Olympic Association.

“I love representing Bermuda and if we can get a team I’ll definitely go,” Butterfield said. “I’m always keen to help out the younger athletes and I think it would be a good learning experience for them.

“The Games are early enough in the year that I’m happy to go. It doesn’t mess with the rest of my season and I’ll be able to do some shorter training and speed work.”

After finishing nineteenth at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Butterfield decided to focus on the longer form of the sport, with a view to conquering the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in Kona, where he races tomorrow.

However, the lure of competing alongside Duffy for the first time at a major competition has persuaded him to alter his plans.

“It will be fun to go to another Games; I thought I’d put all that behind me a few years ago to concentrate on the longer stuff,” he said.

“I’ve chatted to Flora and I’m pretty sure she would be the first athlete to go, just to put Bermuda up front right at the beginning of the race.

“Bermuda is such a small country, so to have four athletes able to compete at that level is quite an achievement. It shows the talent we have and what a good job the Bermuda Triathlon Association is doing.”

Should Bermuda enter a mixed relay team, Butterfield said he would also compete in the individual event in the Commonwealth Games.

“If I’m going all that way I may as well race the individual as well,” he said.

“If we don’t have a team event I’m not sure about the individual. I’ll have to see how I do in Kona.

“It’s not like I feel I need to be there just so Bermuda is represented in triathlon. We already have Flora flying the flag and she’s flying it very well. She’s got an awesome chance of winning gold.”