success overseas in 1995 and is plotting a path toward more gold at next year's Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

However, he remains unsure whether the Bermuda public are even aware of the magnitude of his accomplishments.

Wellman was miffed at the apparent `take it for granted' attitude among the relevant sporting bodies, shown by a lack of fanfare upon his arrival back on the Island following his seizing gold and silver medals at the World Indoor and World Outdoor Championships respectively, only the second triple jumper to medal both indoors and outdoors in the same year.

He was also at a loss as to why he is continually hounded by persons wondering why he has not yet completed his college degree despite being based at the University of Arkansas.

"I'm not at the university studying in school, that's my training base where I prepare for the European season,'' explained Wellman, who is only a few hours short of graduating with a degree in architectural drafting with a minor in business.

"I do plan on going back to school and getting my Masters after my athletic career, but in order to be a serious contender and win medals at major championships that (athletics) has to be your job.

"If you don't make it then you're only pretending. If you think you can hold down a nine to five, have a wife and kids and then maybe take out a year and still achieve success you're wrong, it has to be your business and main focus...a way of life.'' Currently, Wellman is using his time at home to do some base work in preparation for 1996, lifting weights as well as working out on the beach.

He will stay in Bermuda until around February and during that time also looks to obtain at least $50,000 worth of sponsorship for each of the next four years to carry him through the 2000 Olympics which he said should be "the pinnacle of (his) career''.

Still, he highlighted difficulties with local athletes being able to garner such sponsorship as well as compete and train regularly with athletes of a high calibre.

"The problem with sports in this country is that everyone does it on a recreational level, mainly due to size and its inability to support professionalism,'' said Wellman. "In other countries you have athletes who've dedicated their life to sports and most are sponsored by major corporations.

"But in this country companies' advertising budgets are not that great and the competition not so much as in say the States and to have them hand out large chunks of money to an athlete just to have that face associated with it may not seem worthwhile.

"Furthermore, in order to be the best you have to train and compete against the best. If I was to train and compete in Bermuda I could jump 55 feet every time and win every meet, but that's not going to help me at the international level.

"It's frustrating to me when I see people come back and start training for short periods of time, thinking that they can go to the Olympics and get out of the qualifying rounds or medal. If you have the talent you have to make sacrifices and dedicate yourself solely to that and put other things on the side.

"It's not a fly by night scenario.'' Indeed, Wellman toiled long and hard under anonymity, rising from a skinny 18-year-old who failed to qualify for the finals at the 1985 Carifta Games in Barbados, jumping a meagre 48 feet, to a proven talent on the world stage. He is ranked third in the world at present with a best leap of 58 feet, three inches in Madrid, Spain last June.

As for Atlanta, where he will likely have to overcome world record holder Jonathan Edwards of England, Wellman was upbeat about his chances.

However, asked whether someone like Kavin Smith, who has been limited by a lack of finances in his endeavours to reach Olympic standards, could hope to compete for a medal Wellman was pessimistic, indicating that it was probably too late for the 29-year-old runner to make any sort of mark on the world scene.

"It's a rough deal,'' said Wellman "It's a decision I feel you have to make early in life and dedicate yourself to it...'' See scoreboard page for chart of Wellman's progress.