youngsters leaving earlier this week for the event in Martinique at the weekend.

And Gabriel Wilkinson in the under-20 shot and discus, the most experienced of the four, is the best hope for a medal, as the team attempts to match the feat last year of Raneika Bean who brought back a gold medal and set a new Carifta record on her way to winning the girls 100 metres.

Last year seven athletes participated in Trinidad and Tobago, compared to 11 the year before in Barbados. The Bermuda teams have got smaller over the last few years with 13 competing in 1994 and 12 each in '95 and '96.

However, few reached qualifying marks this year with the notable absentee being Tariq Hewey who qualified in the 100 and 200 metres but was overlooked because he did not put in sufficient time in training because of school commitments.

Joining Wilkinson in the team will be Richard Walcott (under 17 800 and 1500 metres), Patrina Swan (under 20 400 and 800 metres) and 13-year-old Shar-Dae Whitter in the under-17 girls 800 and 1500 metres.

One other qualifier was Jennifer Young but she is ineligible because she is a Canadian. Bean has been abroad in school the past year.

"I think our best hope is Gabriel Wilkinson, he's throwing very well and in the future that's our first decathlete,'' said Bermuda Track and Field Association vice president in charge of track and field, Gregory Simons, who accompanied the team as coach the last two years.

Walcott, Swan and Whitter are all emerging middle distance runners, with Swan and Whitter making a mame for themselves in hte Front Street Miles as previous winners. This will be Whitter's first Carifta Games so it will be a learning experience for her, Simons stressed.

"Hopefully she will build on it for next year,'' said Simons.

Competition at Carifta, the top junior track and field championships in the Caribbean, starts on Saturday and finishes on Monday. The Bermuda team is accompanied by national coach Gerry Swan.