battle mostly against the clock, another hopeful, Xavier James, has found it difficult finding a timepiece that works.

James, seeking to qualify for the sprint double -- 100 and 200 metres -- has most recently been dogged by technical difficulties at two meets that saw him produce performances that would probably have put him under the qualifying times of 10.4 and 20.9.

The first instance occurred at the Emery Track Meet in Atlanta, Georgia where the threat of lightning induced organisers to pack away electronic timing equipment, and though James came in under the Olympic standard, because it was hand-timed it cannot be used to qualify.

A week later the scenario repeated itself at the Baytaf Invitational in Tampa Bay, as a malfunction in the computer's `motherboard' resulted in the human element again being brought into play. Thus, despite two more solid showings by James, who placed first in the 100 and 200 with times of 10.0 and 20.7 among a quality field, he was left with little reward.

"It's been the epitome of my year and has really been a disappointment,'' said James, the son of former top local fast-bowler and current Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president El James. "Things haven't really gone my way thus far, but I'm sure it'll turn around.

"I'm sacrificing for this and not just for myself. A lot of people have gotten behind me in this effort, including my parents and the rest of my family. This is for them as well.'' Based at the Wide World of Sports at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida, the Bermudian trains under the tutelage of legendary track coach Brooks Johnson, one who has sent athletes to the Games spanning three decades.

Johnson echoed his charge's sentiments that the relevant marks would have been eclipsed had there not been faults with equipment, and was optimistic that James would finally confirm himself at the Nike Quicksilver Invitational in Atlanta on Saturday.

"I think had they had electronic timing this weekend he would have qualified in both events, so I think it's very likely this coming weekend that he has a good chance to qualify,'' said Johnson, who has aided the careers of the likes of Gail Devers, Butch Reynolds and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and currently has premier triple-jumper James Beckford of Jamaica in his stable.

"Assuming he doesn't get injured he should qualify in both events. He just ran 20.5 hand-held here in practice. My feeling is that he'll run close to that this weekend electronically. But again it depends on conditions, twice he's been ready to qualify and the machines broke down.

"I think the potential is pretty impressive, because he has the size and nobody can coach size, he has that. He's pretty athletic. And he's a very good worker.'' James stands more than six feet tall and originally started out as a soccer player. However, in picking up an injury while at Alabama A & M University he was `discovered' by the school's track coach as, while in the process of rehabilitating the injured limb on the track, he was able to hold his own against the institution's sprinters.