Triathlon organisers are in negotiations to bring an international event back to the Island this year.

Members of the Bermuda Triathlon Association (BTA) executive have been in discussions with sports promotion companies both here and abroad to create a package for sponsors that would enable them to attract the world's best competitors.

The key to the negotiations is understood to be clinching a deal for global television coverage that would facilitate a prize purse of $100,000 -- the third highest in the world.

The event is tentatively scheduled for the second week in October, at the end of the International Triathlon Union season and prior to the Hawaiian Ironman competition, freeing the top athletes to take part.

The move comes following last year's disappointment when the ITU World Cup Triathlon failed to get off the ground largely because of potential sponsorship conflicts.

The ITU's worldwide backers were an insurance company and bank, preventing the BTA from approaching long term supporters of the Bermuda ITU Triathlon, ACE and Bermuda Commercial Bank.

The BTA's newly-appointed coach and technical director, Dave Morrison, said an official announcement was likely to be made by the end of next month.

He added: "We anticipate staging it in mid-October because it fits in very well with the ITU calendar. It would be at the end of the season and after the World Championships in Munich in September.

"Traditionally the place to go at that time was Phuket in Thailand but because of the recession in the Far East their prize money has been decimated.

We feel we can fill that void.'' The size of the purse is seen as crucial as the event would not come under the auspices of the ITU and therefore not carry points towards qualification for the major events.

"In the ITU events everyone's looking for points to go to the World Championships,'' Morrison explained. "It would be tough to get back on that but if we can offer significant prize money, we can achieve a really top event.'' Morrison stressed that at this point no companies had made any specific commitments on either the sponsorship or promotions front.

But it is believed Dave McGillivray's US promotions company -- which has been involved in previous major sporting events on the Island -- has expressed an initial interest in working with a Bermuda-based firm, as yet unnamed, to put on the event.

The expertise of such a company, which has contacts with many top competitors and has organised the Boston Marathon and the triathlon at the Goodwill Games, is seen as vital, although its involvement would have to satisfy the Immigration Department.

Morrison added: "We got good reactions and verbal commitments from potential sponsors last year and we are confident we can get the same.'' The last ITU World Cup event staged on the Island in 1997 was won by Frenchman Phillipe Fattori, who outsprinted Australian Greg Welch on the final leg to claim the $10,000 first prize in a field lacking six of the world's top ten.

Australia's Emma Carney led home the women.

Bermuda's only entrant, Dave Cash, a strong swimmer, faded after coming out of the water in 42nd place and was pulled off the course after being passed on the third cycle lap.

CELEBRATION -- Frenchman Phillippe Fattori uncorks the champagne to celebrate his victory in the last major international triathlon to be held in Bermuda, back in September, 1997. Bermuda Triathlon Association are now negotiating for another big-money event later this year.