La Habana CUB - Olympic champions Ivan Pedroso and Anier Garcia will return to competition later this month, heading the 15-member Cuban team for the 2004 indoor season, thinking of a good performance in Budapest en route to an Olympic medal in Athens.

Plagued by injuries, Pedroso and Garcia were far form their best form last year and were only rewarded with the Pan American title and the world indoor championships silver medal, respectively.

"I am in good physical and psychological conditions. I have taken good care of myself and worked very closely with my physician and physiotherapist. I just hope to be same Ivan Pedroso I used to be", Cuba's most decorated athlete said.

Although it is not his main priority, Pedroso will aim for his 10th world title -he has won five indoor and four out. He previously claimed gold in Toronto'93, Barcelona'95, Paris'97, Maebashi'99 and Lisbon'2001. He missed Birmingham due to injury.

"Ivan is training very well and if he keeps himself motivated and stays healthy, he can jump two or three more years. We hope to jump 8.30-8.40 meters this winter", explained his coach Milan Matos.

With a second Olympic title in sight, Anier Garcia admits to be totally recovered from injury. "I am training with Athens in my mind and I will take the indoor season to assess my form after some months out of competition", commented the 26-year old, who has the 1997 world title and two silvers (2001 and 2003) in his indoor pedigree. He is expected to start his indoor campaign in Stuttgart, on January 31.

Santiago Antunez, Anier's coach and the national technical director, insists that the indoor season and the Budapest champs are part of their preparation for Athens.

"This is the first time the World Indoor Champs coincide with an Olympic season, so our athletes will contest in Europe in preparation for the Games. Many of those who stay in Havana will also compete to see how their training has progressed", explained Antunez.

Both Pedroso and Garcia will be supported by triple jumper Yoandri Betanzos, who has shown impressive early season form as he improved his nine-step personal best to 17.10 meters a week ago.

"I first want to adapt myself to the track, as I has never jumped indoors. Once I am used to it, I will try to jump 17.40-17.50 and aim for a medal in Budapest and then add 20-30 cm to my personal best outdoors for a good performance in Athens", said the 21-year old.

The Pan American champion and Paris world championships silver medallist will make his indoor debut in Samara on January 29. Pedroso will also jump in the Russian city.

Other notable names include 2003 Birmingham World Indoor Championships triple jump bronze medallist Yoelbi Quesada, Pan American champions Yunier Hernandez (60-meter hurdles), Mabel Gay (triple jump) and Yumileidi Cumba (shot put).

"As all athletes, my focus is to make the Cuban team for the Olympic Games in Athens. But we have these competitions first and we will do our best. I want to make it to the final and then aim for a medal in Budapest", stated Hernandez.

The team also features Olympic long jump finalist Luis Felipe Meliz, sprinter Virgen Benavides, hurdlers Yoel Hernandez, Dainelky Perez and 2002 world junior champion Anay Tejeda, high jumper Lisvany Perez and shot putter Alexis Paumier.

Triple jump world junior champion David Giralt, fourth in Paris, is recovering form a minor injury and is expected to join the team in Europe in February.

The squad, led by Santiago Antunez, will be based in Guadalajara, Spain and each athlete will have 2-5 meetings prior to Budapest, depending on their own competition interests. Except Betanzos and Giralt, all athletes have had indoor experience.

Cuba has good memories of Budapest, where it achieved its first world titles in 1989, when Javier Sotomayor won the high jump and Andres Simon became the surprising 60-meter winner in the 2nd World Indoor Championships (WIC). Overall, the Island has clinched 27 WIC medals, including 13 titles.