BERMUDA has just five athletes competing in Beijing and another in Hong Kong.

But watching from the sidelines are two teenage Bermudians who hope that one day they'll be taking part in the same sporting extravaganza.

Swimmer and sailor Eleanor Gardner and triathlete and cyclist Tim Fox are just two of 481 youngsters from 205 countries who have been invited to the Olympic Youth Camp (OYC).

And it's an experience they'll never forget.

The 12-day camp, with its own Opening Ceremony, has allowed the teens to watch many of the events and a get a close-up view of some of the world's top athletes during a visit to the Games Village ¿ the sprawling facility which, because of high security, remains out of bounds for anyone other than the competitors and the coaches.

Gardner and Fox, neatly dressed in the official Bermuda uniform, blazer and shorts, were there for the opening ceremony when they were told by honorary IOC president Antonio Samaranch: "I can assure you that you will remember your stay at this camp all of your life.

"And I can promise you that the Beijing Olympic Games will be the best in Olympic history." Gardner has tasted success in both the sea and in the pool ¿ she holds several age-group swim records ¿ while Fox has proved he could be a force in both cycling and triathlon in years to come.

Having finished his last year at Saltus, he's about to enrol in Queens University in next month. Gardner, 17, will study for a further year at Bermuda High School.

Both were selected for the camp after every sporting body in Bermuda was invited to make an application to fill the two places awarded to Bermuda Olympic Association.

"I was just thrilled to be selected," said Gardner.

"I really wanted to go and I was nominated by both swimming and sailing and it's interesting because at university I want to study international relations, so it's kind of all tied in." Asked what she hoped to get out of the experience, she said: "I really don't know. In the future I would like to have a chance of going to the Olympics myself as a competitor. I've always thought about the Olympics, every time it comes around.

"But I'm meeting people, seeing China. I went to India earlier this year, so I feel very privileged to be chosen." A prominent name in Optimist dinghy regattas, she says she's taking a break from that sport.

"Swimming's my priority at the moment. I went to the Youth Worlds this year and hoping to make it to the Worlds next year. It's going to be hard, but hopefully I can do it." In the meantime, the two young Bermudians are getting chance to see not only the Olympics.

The camp is also offering lessons in Chinese kungfu, caligraphy and on how to make Chinese dumplings.

And besides visiting the various Games venues, they are also seeing some of Beijing's most famous tourist attractions ¿ Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.

The idea of an Olympic Youth Camp was originated back in 1912 when Sweden invited 1,500 boy scouts to set up tents near the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm.

And the camp has been a part of the Games since 1952 when Finland's capital, Helsinki, was the host city.