BERMUDA'S Flora Duffy will compete in South Africa on Sunday at the Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup in preparation for the Beijing Olympics this summer.

Although Duffy has been given a wild card by the International Olympic Committee to this year's Games, she is already on track to qualify in her own right. There will be 55 women on the start line in Beijing this summer and right now Duffy is ranked 53 ¿ and she has not been in action that much after suffering a horrible year.

But by being given the wild card, Duffy does not now have to travel to Mexico to a triathlon there in order to qualify.

She can now just concentrate on her form ahead of Beijing ¿ and just before that the World Championships in Vancouver.

Her father, Charles, said this week: "She has arrived in South Africa ¿ it was a long haul and BA messed her about a bit. She was supposed to be on a flight which was fairly empty so she could spread out a bit but they cancelled that flight and put her on another one which was packed."

Duffy arrived in Johannesburg and then flew to Durban and then travelled to Richards Bay. Today she and other competitors will have the chance to check out the course.

Of the wild card given to her, Charles said: "It certainly has lessened any anxiety she may have had about going to Beijing. However she probably will not need it ¿ with the points she has accumulated before everything went pear shaped, she is almost guaranteed to be in. We are hoping she is on her way back to her best and she will get some more points (before Beijing) as well."

Duffy herself said recently of the wild card: "It's a massive boost and a huge relief for me. Now I know I'm definitely going to Beijing I can focus on planning and preparing for the Olympics."

And although Duffy did have a bad year in 2007, her father said he was amazed at her fortitude.

"These athletes push themselves to extremes and sometimes go a bit overboard and the body can rebel. That can happen to a lot of triathletes. What happened to her was not that unusual after having such a good year (in 2006).

"To achieve a great year like that you are really punishing yourself and she paid for it big time because she has had a terrible 12 months. But her attitude is incredible considering that during those 12 months ¿ tears after races and everything ¿ she still went on training a tremendous amount ¿ a lot of hours a week and she has had to give up her social life. That is tough for a 20 year kid and she has been doing it for years now.

"When you finish in the world's top 10 of a race it makes it easier to get up at five in the morning and train.

"But when after travelling thousands of miles and the race ends in disaster and then two days later you are back at it again shows how amazing she can be. I know I am her father and biased but those are the facts. She may have had a terrible time but she keeps training. And the way she trains is not like me training! She will swim five or six kilometres in a session."

In June Duffy will travel to the World Championships in Vancouver and will probably compete in the Under-23 division.