In 1992, Van Leeuwen was able to finish second in one of the domestic trails, but the rigors of his college schedule prevented him from competing overseas, forcing him out of running for an Olympic spot.

"I'm very confident of my chances," Van Leeuwen says of the possibility of an Olympic spot. "I've fenced a lot of the competitors on the collegiate circuit. I've beaten most of them."

"The Olympics for me is an amazing goal," Van Leeuwen says. "I would be incredibly honored to be a part of that"

Training in Florida

While Van Leeuwen will spend much time over the next year on the "strip"--the area in which fencers joust--junior Brett Davis will spend his time preparing for the Games off the Florida coast.

Davis, who plans on taking next year off so he can devote himself fully to his sport, will compete in laser sailing.

The Olympics sailing competition consists of several heats of different classes of boats. Lasers are boats manned by a single person, and Davis has been sailing them for the past six years.

Davis won high school nationals in the event for three consecutive years. In addition, Davis is a member of the Harvard sailing team, which has been ranked in the top 10 among collegiate sailing teams throughout the year. Davis garnered an All-American honorable mention last year.

"[The Olympic Team] is the highest goal for me right now," Davis says. "I'm not going to be an academic. My focus is on the Olympics."

According to Davis, 50 boats will make the cut for the Olympic qualifier in Savannah, Georgia. Currently, Davis is ranked number 20 in the country in laser sailing, so he estimates his chances of raking high enough to move onto the trails as very good.

"Winning at the trails will be much harder, although it's possible," Davis says.

Track

Several members of Harvard's track team are also hoping for a shot at the Atlanta Games.

Sophomore Karen Goetze, sophomore Ian Carswell and senior Bryan Henry all have Olympic aspirations. Carswell and Henry hope to compete for Canada.

Like many of the Olympic hopefuls, Henry admits that the rigors of Harvard academics run counter to performing to his full athletic potential.