ENJOYING great form at the United States Open early last month, Kenneth Edwards anchored Jamaica to victory in the Busta World Team Fighting Championship.

However, not wanting to risk aggravating an injury, Edwards, with his mind on Olympic-qualifying training, which started in New York immediately after the US Open, chose not to participate in individual competition.

Despite his accomplishments with the combined martial arts team, Edwards said it is the 2012 Olympics in London on which he is focused.

Although he failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics after being stopped in the semi-final of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Pan Am Games qualifiers in 2007 and during the first round of the games in Brazil, Edwards is confident of being in London 2012.

"That's my ultimate goal," said Edwards who, with his eyes on qualifying for Beijing 2008, injured his shoulder in 2007 before making the trip to Colombia for Olympic qualifying.

Steadily improving

Edwards has been steadily improving on the WTF Olympic-style circuit. The WTF Olympic-style circuit has a different style of fighting from the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), which he practises with the combined martial arts team.

"I've been doing WTF style since the end of 2005. It's still fairly new to me but I'm loving it," he said of WTF technique which almost prohibits use of the hands.

"Since then, I've entered and won the New York Open in Queens, Garden State Open in New Jersey in 2008.

"I also won the US Grand Prix in January in Philadelphia," he added.

"To make the Olympics must be any sportsman's dream and I'm head over heels about making it," he said.

"At times it's difficult switching over but what I've been advised to do by my coaches is that I have to focus on the particular style, just as if you're entering a 100-metre race as opposed to a 400 metres," Edwards explained.

Alvin Bernard and Conrad Jenkins out of the United States are preparing Edwards.