Put the champagne on ice! That's the message from Bermuda Olympic Association president Austin Woods as he prepares to leave for Atlanta this week confident that the Island team is heading to the Games with its best ever opportunity of Olympic glory.

Woods believes the nine-strong team has a realistic shot at snatching at least two medals, pinning his hopes on triple jumper Brian Wellman and Star class sailors Peter Bromby and Lee White.

In 12 Olympiads in which Bermuda has been represented since Berlin in 1936, heavyweight boxer Clarence Hill's bronze at Montreal in 1976 remains the only tangible reward for the Island's efforts.

But Woods insists that a four-year programme put into effect after the last Games in Barcelona in 1992, including the introduction of the Elite Athletes Fund, will finally bear fruit in Atlanta.

"This is one of the rare times Bermuda has gone into an Olympics where at least two of our athletes should in actual fact come away with no less than a bronze,'' said an extraordinarily confident Woods yesterday. "I'm telling Bermuda, put the champagne on ice.'' Wellman and Bromby, with crew White, are obvious medal contenders following a string of international successes over the past two years. But with the Atlanta Olympics attracting the largest number of countries in Games history, competition for medals will arguably be tougher than at any previous Oympiad.

Yet the BOA chief remains full of optimism.

"Looking at Brian, unless something drastic happens he should come in with no less than the bronze. If he's peaking and everything goes the way it should, I don't see any reason why he shouldn't medal.

"And the same applies to Peter. On any given day he's as good as they come.

The preparation he's put into these Olympics, the fact that he now has an international coach... he's got the start down to a fine art ...if the conditions are right for him there's no reason why he shouldn't medal too.

"We've got to look at Brian and Peter as realistic hopes.'' As for the team as a whole, Woods adds: I think it's probably the most prepared squad we've ever had. The individuals named for Atlanta won't have surprised anyone -- with perhaps the exception of (sprinter) Devon Bean.

They've all come through the programme.

"We have three athletes who are world ranked -- Brian, Peter and Troy (Douglas) and then there's Elliot (Hubbard) who's ranked in the Pan-Am region as is (sailor) Paula (Lewin).

"It goes to show that the four-year programme that we initiated from the Central American Games leading up to the Olympics is actually working, and we're seeing the dividends.

"Without a doubt this is the way to go in the future. And as a sporting nation I see us only continuing to improve.

"Once we are able to get the proper sporting facilities in Bermuda, then we're going to see a marked improvement in athletes' performances.

"The unfortunate thing at the moment is that Bermudians aren't able to see our top athletes compete at the world level with maybe the exception of yachting.

"But when the proper facilities come on line in the next few years, that's going to change, and I think that will have a knock-on effect, it will inspire others.'' Woods, BOA secretary-general John Hoskins and chef de mission Phil Guishard are all expected in Atlanta by this weekend.

Already the four sailors, Bromby, White, Lewin and Malcolm Smith, are training on the waters off Savannah where they will be joined this week by national coach Chuck Millican.

Athletes Wellman, Douglas and Bean as well as cyclist Hubbard and equestrienne Suzie Dunkley-Zandvoort aren't expected in Atlanta before the opening ceremony a week on Friday.

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