the race.

Bermuda's 800 metres record holder qualified for the Commonwealth Games here Tuesday night at the Seattle International Classic, running a brilliant tactical race to cross the line in 2 minutes, 7.57 seconds. The Bermuda Olympic Association's Games qualifying standard, so narrowly missed twice by Fisher in the last week, is 2:08.

It was the third fastest 800 meters race of Fisher's life. She holds the national record of 2:07.2, set 10 years ago in Virginia. Eight days ago in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Fisher ran an 2:08.81 and on Saturday in Victoria on the Commonwealth Games track, Fisher finished in 2:08.65.

There would be no such heartbreak on Tuesday. Fisher, 33, was sitting seventh with 300 metres to go, but poured it on, and narrowly shaded Canadian Angie Froese for third place with a lean at the line. World class Canadian runners Charmaine Crooks and Sarah Howell finished one-two in 2:05.35 and 2:06.38.

"Off the last corner, I gave it all I had,'' Fisher said. "I've finally made the Commonwealth Games. It's been one of our goals, to compete in the Games.

It's a relief that it's done, that we don't have to worry about it anymore. I didn't want to be trying to qualify a few days before the qualifying deadline, and worrying myself sick. Now I can train -- and not worry about anything.'' Qualification ended a gruelling two weeks for Fisher, who ran eight races as she sought to add a Games appearance to her running resume. Fisher has twice competed in the World Championships (Helsinki in 1983, Rome in 1987), ran at the 1987 Pan-American Games in Indianapolis -- and is a seven time medallist at the CAC Games.

Fisher, normally excited before a race, said she wasn't feeling well before Tuesday's event.

"I felt so low that it was like I wasn't even going to run,'' she said. I went to the mall in the afternoon, slept from 3-5 p.m., and then got up and started to get ready to go to the meet. I wasn't even hyped, I just couldn't get up for it.'' Once on the track, she felt a small burst of excitement: "But even then, I couldn't really get into it. The race had already started when I thought `come on girl, you've got to run faster than this'.

"Sometimes you can get too worked up for a race. But you never know when a good performance is coming. It never adds up.'' Still, Fisher knew as she crossed the line that something special had been achieved.

"Everything went so well, it was so smooth -- things just fell together,'' she said. "I knew if I stayed close to Charmaine Crooks and Sarah Howell that I should do it. We didn't get the official results for another hour and a half, but both (husband) Eddie and Dawnette Bean had me under 2:08, so I felt pretty good.'' "It was just a brilliant run,'' said Eddie, Jennifer's chief motivator.

"We're just thrilled that she has qualified for the Games. In the last week, she's run the third, fourth and fifth fastest times of her life over 800 metres. That's really encouraging.

"She got the continuous competition she needed to give her that edge. Now we think she may have a 2:06 or 2:05 in her.'' Fisher will take a couple day's off before deciding whether to run in a meet on Saturday in Coquitlam, just outside Vancouver.

Meanwhile, Stephen Woodley, who has already qualified for the Games, finished third in the high jump competition in Seattle with a leap of 2.05 metres (six feet, eight and a half inches).

Americans Chuck Ways (2.10, 6'91 '') and Mike Harris (2.05, 6'81 '' with less misses) beat Woodley.

JENNIFER FISHER -- Gunning for British Columbia.