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HELSINKI -- Tyler Christopher didn't come to Finland to see the sights or sample the saunas.
He didn't come here to merely make the final in the men's 400 metres, either, or race for a personal best to soothe his ego.
Christopher came to the IAAF world championships to kick some butt.
"Honestly, and I know he feels the same way, I will be disappointed if (Christopher) does not get out of here with a gold medal," his coach, Kevin Tyler, said yesterday. "This is the task we set for ourselves. We know he's physically capable and that is the ultimate goal.
"His mind is in one place -- winning."
How refreshing is that? It seems so many among the 32-member Canadian team here have talked about hoping to make the top 12 or qualify for the final.
Even if that was the most realistic goal for many, especially the handful of young rookies, it certainly doesn't inspire overachievement.
Tyler says that at a tender 21, Christopher seems poised to set an example for his teammates. Namely, that if you have the talent and drive, why not shoot for the stars?
"I've seen too many athletes come over hoping to do their personal best or to get a bronze or just compete," said Tyler, who heads up the Canadian Athletics Training Centre at the University of Alberta.
"I don't know if it's a Canadian thing. We have a comfortable life and this (the worlds) is an uncomfortable environment and it wears you down. But if you start thinking about bronze, you aren't keeping your eye on the prize."
Christopher, who was the fastest man in the semi-finals on Wednesday with a time of 45.47 seconds, has had his eye on nothing but gold. He owns the fifth-fastest time in the world this year. The refuse-to-lose attitude may be what takes him over the top.
Brampton high jumper Mark Boswell admires the mindset Christopher has shown so far, a brazen confidence the Boz feels will serve his teammate well tonight.
"I know he has it in him," Boswell said. "He's an amazing runner and an amazing athlete. I would love for our whole team to be like that. To go out with the idea that you are going win and kick ass."
In already lowering the Canadian record twice this year, Christopher quickly got on the radar screen of the world's best. At a hotel in suburban Haaga yesterday, friends and relatives of Texan Jeremy Wariner, the pre-meet favourite, were overheard worrying about "that Canadian kid."
Other than diehard track buffs, many in Canada have yet to hear about Christopher, however. They might have a year ago but for injuries which kept him from qualifying for the Olympics.
As frustrating as it was having to watch from his Edmonton apartment as Wariner won gold at Athens, Christopher came back with a game plan to succeed. That included Athletics Canada tagging him for the Excellence Program which qualifies him for additional funding.
This year, Christopher left little to chance, recruiting Tyler to join his previous coach, Ron Thompson. The influence of both men has served him well.
"I was finally given the right help and the right opportunities and I came through," Christopher said. "(Tyler) and I have been working together with help from Athletics Canada, this is the year."
Tyler said the goals at the beginning of the year were to set the Canadian record, show he belongs with the world's best and to compete at the world championships. By April, the target was revised to include gold in Helsinki.
The best indication that isn't so far-fetched came on July 1 in France when Christopher captured a Golden League event in 44.69. Tyler believes his prodigy has more in the tank, including a sub 44-second effort, a feat only previously accomplished by seven runners.
With a day between the semi-final and final, Tyler said Christopher spent yesterday keeping loose and relaxing.
Christopher is the first Canadian to make a final in the 400, a gruelling sprint in which a runner must carry supreme speed for much longer than the glory boys of the 100.
In his preliminary heat, Christopher ran his final 100 metres in an incredible 11.5 seconds. In the semi-final, he eased up for the final 15 metres or would have finished in the low-44s.
"We watched the video of his first heat over and over," Tyler said. "He was 12 metres back after 300 metres. To close 12 metres over the final 100 ... that is incredible."
Tyler said he hasn't seen such raw power in a Canadian track athlete since Donovan Bailey was dominant in the 100 in the late 1990s. So is a young guy who has yet to even compete in an Olympics or world championship the next great Canadian track star?
We'll get a hint tonight when he leaves from Lane 4 in the eight-man final.
"I don't think it's too early to lay that on him," Tyler said. "He has the skill set to compete against the best in the world. To join figureheads like Perdita (Felicien) and Mark (Boswell) ... that would be fantastic. The more we have as Canadians, the better off we will be."
Opportunity awaits in bunches at the Olympic Stadium finish line tonight, especially for a team and its fans anxious to ease Felicien's disappointment.
And all signs point to Christopher being ready to make a splash.
"I had lunch with him (yesterday) and it's great to see the expression and happiness on his face," said Boswell, who remembers the feeling when he earned his first world medal in 1999. "He's about to see what a breakthrough can do. It will open a whole new world for him.
"Trust me man. This kid is going to be an awesome treat for the country to watch and support."