boardroom when Bermuda Olympic Association hold their annual general meeting tomorrow night.

Sailors Peter Bromby and Jay Kempe and swimmer Jennifer Smatt are all vying for a new post created by the BOA -- through the International Olympic Committee -- that will give an added voice to future Olympians.

Last night, the three met with Mike Cherry, chairman of the BOA technical committee, to try and hammer out a consensus choice to be put forward to the general council.

All Olympians from the 1992 and 1996 Games were invited to nominate -- and vote for -- a chairman of the Athletes Commission. An athlete had to have competed in at least one of those Olympiads and must be a full-time resident of the Island in order to be eligible for the post.

Kempe, who sailed in the tornado class in the Barcelona Games four years ago and is currently a lawyer, would seem to be the top choice. Smatt was a breaststroker in Barcelona and retired after the 1994 Commonwealth Games, while Bromby sailed in the Star class in 1992 as well as this summer's Atlanta Games.

The position was opened through the urging of the IOC, who want to see athletes gain better representation on national associations. The BOA recently changed their constitution to come in line with the IOC.

Former star hurdler Edwin Moses of the US is the athletes' international representative.

The Bermuda post, said BOA president Austin Woods, is an important one.

"There's a lot of responsibility and it shouldn't be taken lightly,'' said Woods, himself up for re-election.

The athlete will sit on the BOA committee for a four-year term and become an officer of the BOA, representing all Bermuda Olympic athletes.

This is important because athletes in the past have not been allowed to deal directly with the BOA, having instead gone through their respective Olympic associations, said Woods. The BOA will also be able to get an athlete's unique perspective on such issues as training sites, funding and drug testing.

Of the approximately 20 Olympians who have competed in the past five years, only ten currently reside on the Island. Kempe, Smatt and Bromby were said to be fiercely lobbying other athletes for their support.

Cherry will take the athletes' choice into tomorrow night's meeting. If a consensus was not reached last night, the three names will be put forward and the general council will make a decision.

"It's entirely up to the athletes (who they want to represent them),'' said Cherry yesterday. "All I'm doing is chairing (last night's) meeting. "I haven't sounded anybody out; I don't even have a vote.'' The chairman of the Athletes Commission will draw upon the advice of six others, to be appointed by the respective Olympic associations. These candidates are not tied to the same criteria as the chairman.

In total, eight positions will be up for grabs tomorrow night.

"There will be some changes,'' said Woods, who would not elaborate.

But Woods will not be one of them. First elected BOA president in 1988, he is expected to be acclaimed for his third term -- and, he says, his last.