after capping off his 1992 outdoor season with a silver medal-winning performance at the World Cup meet in Cuba.

Proudly in procession of the medal after helping his Americas team finish second in the 4x400 metres relay three weeks ago, Douglas said that he was hopeful that the momentum from this success would help carry him over to the start of the indoor season in January.

"Getting the medal has certainly put me on a high. I ended the season the way I wanted to which was a good performance in the 400 metres,'' said the 29-year-old Bermudian who this summer at the Barcelona Olympics reached the semi-finals in the same event.

Competing in a relay team that included two Cubans and a Jamaican, Douglas ran the third leg and made significant gain after receiving the baton with the team in fourth position. The Bermudian was in sharp form, running at his best he overtook members of the United States and British teams and was in second place when he passed to the Cuban anchor who brought it home.

More important than the second place finish in the mind of the local athlete though was his overall time of 44.5 -- an effort which was in sharp contrast to his woeful performance on the previous day when he finished eighth in the 400 metres with a time of 47.43.

"My performance the day before was simply tacky, there is no doubt about it.'' he said. "I might just as well put that out of my mind altogether. But to run a 44.5 on the very next day and to end my season that way really put me on a high.'' Bada of the African team won the individual race with a time of 44.9, but Douglas' performance in the relay proved to be the best individual split time at the whole meet over this distance.

While Douglas did well to reach the semi-finals in Barcelona, he still regarded this effort in Cuba as being one of the highlights of his best-ever season.

"I couldn't have asked for a better season that the one I have just finished.

I am just going to bounce from this and carry it over to next season and look for better things.

"Getting this medal has put me on a high. To run the third leg like I did and to overtake the American and British team, who are the so-called super-powers in the relay, was something else. I know these they have their best teams, but the teams that showed up still represented them and I am proud to have been there to beat them,'' said Douglas.

He said that the Americas team finished a "firm second,'' and could have won it. "But the African who won it was simply a better quarter miler than our Cuban anchor.'' In addition to this fine achievement in Cuba and his performance in Barcelona, Douglas also has fond memories of the time he spent training for the Olympics in Guadalajara, Mexico. He recalled being in great shape when he went there and leaving in the best of condition, both physically and mentally.

After a well-deserved rest Douglas is looking ahead to the new year with enthusiam as he aims to start it off with a boom by competing in a 300 metre race in Boston in January.

"I will run that distance on a 200 metre track just to see where I am physically at that time, then I will go up in altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona and race there for awhile,'' he said.

When he leaves Arizona after a two month spell getting himself in shape for more serious competition, he will head for the World Indoor Championships which will be held in Toronto's Skydome in March.

"With the Olympics now over there is still a lot more for me to do in track and field and I am preparing for it. It's a big challenge, but it is one I am certainly ready to face.'' TROY DOUGLAS -- won a silver World Cup medal for the Americas.