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Tyrone Smith is literally a toe's length away from the Olympics.

The U.S. based long jumper returns to Bermuda next week for the first time since he was 'three-feet tall.'

He'll be competing at the Bermuda National Track and Field Championships, attempting to add 2cm to the 8.03m national record he set last week and make the qualifying standard for Beijing.

Smith, who was born here but grew up in Chicago, is so close he can almost taste it.

And he'd love to seal qualification in his adopted home country.

"It will be the first time I've competed in Bermuda since I was at pre-school. Last time I was even there I was eight or nine for my grandmother's funeral."

The 23-year-old, who now competes for U.S Olympic legend Carl Lewis' team under the tutelage of famous American coach Tom Tellez, has come a long way since he left Bermuda.

And his career is still progressing in leaps and bounds.

Last week, at a meet in Greece, he recorded his first eight-metre jump. Despite coming up 2cm short of the qualifying standard, he was ecstatic.

"The judges took much longer than usual to declare it as a fair jump. They stared at the boards for a long time before they gave me the flag.

"When they did, at first, it was in Greek, but I understood one word - "ochta".

"I knew that was eight and I went crazy! Jumping yelling smiling. When they told me the whole mark I was beyond excited.

"Eight metres is a benchmark for any long jumper and I was pleased to finally make it. Now I'm just 2cm away. I know it's going to happen."

Smith, nicknamed 'sticks' made the eight metre jump on a whirlwind tour of Europe, where he also competed in Estonia and Germany.

After a rash of meets in the last few weeks he'll rest up, work on a few technical points and head to Bermuda refreshed and ready for the National Championships, which take place on June 28 and 29.

After that he'll travel with the national team to Cali, Colombia for the CAC Games.

Officially he has until July 23 to make the standard. Alternatively the BTFA could nominate him as a wildcard entry, if it has no qualified track and field athletes - something Smith refuses to contemplate.

"I know that is something that has been discussed a lot in Bermuda and I have a decent chance of getting it, I try to push it to he back of my mind.

"That's how I got in to the World Indoor Championships and I don't want to be the guy that always gets to go because he is from a smaller federation."[[In-content Ad]]

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