possible boycott of the World Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Many of the top athletes in the US have been linked to a boycott threat of the championships in Toronto from March 12-14 if prize money is not awarded for the first time to finalists.

"Until I get informed about the situation I can't think about a boycott,'' said Bermuda's Grand Prix triple jump champion Brian Wellman.

Olympic Sprinter Troy Douglas said he would hold off comment until speaking with his agent, Raymond DeFries of Holland, who also represents Wellman.

The issue is particularly dicey for Wellman as his former assistant coach at the University of Arkansas is none other than Olympic triple jump champion Mike Conley. Conley is one of the high-profile names that has been linked to a potential boycott of the indoor championships as well as the more popular outdoor Worlds to be held in Stuttgart, Germany, from August 13-22.

"I am not totally informed about the situation,'' said Wellman. "I know about the prize money issue because last year there was an article in Track and Field News . The IAAF is supposed to be a non-profitable organisation but there is money coming in from TV and sponsors. None of that is filtering to the athletes, so where is it going? "The athletes' gripe is that without us they would have nothing to sell. In tennis, baseball and (NFL) football there is no comparison as far as money is concerned and the athletes want their fair share. Right now, it's only the big guys at the top that are making money.'' Wellman is sympathetic to the cause but actually boycotting a major championships is a different story.

"I haven't been in touch with my agent about this yet,'' he said. "The American athletes can do that because the majority of them are world class and can survive without the IAAF.

"Track and field athletes have got to get a union. The IAAF has been living nicely all this time. It is time to cut the athletes in.'' Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, has labelled the strike talk as "ridiculous'' and "comic'' and said he will remain firmly against the ideal of paying athletes. A final decision may come at this weekend's meeting of the IAAF Council in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Wellman, fifth at the Barcelona Olympics, is planning to jump at the University of Arkansas next week. He no longer jumps for the school because his NCAA eligibility has run out. But he is continuing his studies where he is majoring in draughting with a minor in business.

"I am trying to nail down some indoor meets,'' he said. "I might be jumping here next week and then there are a few meets in Europe. I will see how that goes and take it from there.'' Douglas, a semi-finalist in the Olympic 400 metres, is soon off to El Paso, Texas, for training. Then he, too, is expected to jet off to Europe.

"I will be in El Paso until February 12 and then go to Europe to race for two weeks,'' said Douglas from his base in Tucson, Arizona. "I will decide on the World Indoors afterwards, but I've got to get some races before.'' Bermudian Judyann Fletcher helped the Belles of Bennett College dominate the recent Lynchburg Invitational Meet when she set the tone by winning the 55 metre dash in a time of 7.24 seconds which bettered the NCAA Championship qualifying standard of 7.32.

Freshman Fletcher then joined teammates Kera Green, Tammy Crawford and Marsha Hawkins to win the 400 metre relay. In the final race of the meet Paula Johnson anchored the trio of Fletcher, Green and Hawkins to an impressive 100 metre win in the 1600 metre relay.

BRIAN WELLMAN -- Bermuda's ace triple jumper is sympathetic to the athletes' cause but says a boycott may not be in his interest.