NEW YORK ? Thirty-five Columbia and Barnard students have competed in the Olympic Games, going all the way back to 1896. This summer, their ranks will be swelled by four others.

Erinn Smart and James Williams will be members of the United States men and women's fencing teams, Courtney King-Dye will compete in dressage, and Erison Hurtault will run track.

Smart was an All-American and All-Ivy League fencer at Columbia before graduating from Barnard in 2001. The Brooklyn native first made the Olympic team in 2000 as a replacement athlete (alternate). She will be competing in women's foil this year, as she did in 2004. She'll be joined in Beijing by her brother Keeth, another perennial Olympian who was an All-American at St. John's.

Williams was a two-time All-American in men's sabre for Columbia, finishing fifth in the NCAA Championships in both 2006 and 2007. He graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in history and Russian, and is now pursuing a master's in Slavic language and cultures.

In addition to graduate school, the Sacramento, Calif., resident has been actively pursuing an Olympic berth. Seemingly out of contention earlier this year, he came on strongly as the highest American finisher in a series of World Cup events and vaulted back into the picture when he made the finals of the Moscow Grand Prix. His showing in the Division I U.S. National Championships secured a spot on the Olympic Team as a replacement (alternate) men's sabre fencer.

Hurtault, a 2007 Columbia College alumnus from Aberdeen, N.J., is well-known to Ivy League athletics fans. He became the first athlete in Ivy League track and field history to win the Ivy League championship in one event ? the 400 meters ? all four years, both indoors and outdoors. He received Columbia's 2007 Connie S. Maniatty Award.

He had a position with a New York investment banking firm lined up, but postponed it in order to pursue a full-time track career. He moved to warmer climes in Tallahassee, Fla., working at two jobs to support his training until he received financial backing from several Columbia alumni.

Hurtault had competed successfully in the 400 during the past year, but just missed the making the finals of the Olympic Trials. He will compete in Beijing representing Dominica, a tiny Caribbean nation where both of his parents were born.

Courtney King-Dye does not share the familiarity of Smart or Hurtault to Columbia athletics fans because equestrian events are not offered by most American colleges, including Columbia.

According to biographical material furnished by NBC Universal, King-Dye grew up and lives in New Milford, Conn. She has been riding since she was nine years old. In June, she finished in third place at the Olympic Trials with Mythilus, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, securing a spot on the team. She was also entered with another horse, 18-year-old Idocus. In 2007 King-Dye rode impressively on both horses on the European circuit, finishing in the top ten at Grand Prix events in Germany and the Netherlands. Riding Idocus, she finished sixth at the Las Vegas World Cup, representing the United States for the first time.

The 2004 Columbia graduate was recently married to Jason Dye.

Opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games will be held Friday, Aug. 8, in Beijing.