NEW YORK, 30 June 2004 — Keeth Smart’s unlikely journey from Brooklyn to the Athens Olympics began as a kid who couldn’t even beat his own sister who discovered fencing watching a lightsaber duel in a “Star Wars” film.

The child grew into a world No. 1 in men’s saber and won a spot in the Games’ return to Greece, even figuring out how to handle his sister Erinn, who makes her own bid for an Olympic medal in foil this August.

“We’ve always been a competitive family. We would look up the dictionary for new Scrabble words,” Keeth Smart said. “It would be the greatest gift in the world if we could both win gold. It would be wonderful.”

United States fencers have won 10 Olympic medals, none of them gold, and six came a century ago in St. Louis. US fencers have only a pair of bronzes to show for the past 70 years, most recently by Peter Westbrook in 1984.

But Westbrook began a foundation to bring fencing to youth in poor areas. That’s how one black fencer helped train two others to follow his success in a sport seldom noticed in the crowded US sport realm.

“It takes a lot of explaining to friends we’re not trying to kill each other,” Keeth Smart said.

“We saw it in ‘Star Wars’ but not in real life. Fencing is a technical sport and I was gangly as a child.”

Keeth, who turns 26 in July, traded foils against Erinn, 24, at age 14, recalling, “I couldn’t beat her. I couldn’t beat anyone. But as time went on I picked it up.”

Erinn, who always wears a red bracelet she found in China when at competitions, no longer matches herself against her brother, having seen the toll it takes upon tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. “I see Venus and Serena play and I know the emotions that go into that,” she said. “I don’t think I could compete against Keeth.”

Smart was second in a 2003 event at Athens to grab the world No. 1 ranking, although he has since fallen out of the top 10 and trying to find top form before his return to Greece. He has even developed a following.

“It’s weird. You get recognized on the street in France,” he said. “I was in a cafe and the waiter said, ‘Are you competing next week?’ I’m signing autographs, taking photos. There are die-hard fencing fans believe it or not.”

Confident that hard work can overcome the tradition of rivals from Russia, Italy and France, Smart says he has developed the eyes of a fencer.

“What I look for is body language,” he said. “It says hundreds of words about how you feel, whether you are excited or nervous.”

If his observational skills help produce a landmark gold in Athens, Smart might be ready to trade saber swings against “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader and become hero to yet another generation of American fencers. “If we’re able to have another medal,” Erinn said, “who knows what could happen from there.”