House's 2012 Olympic hopes on the line this week

For Gainesville resident Morgan House, months of sweat and toil will all come down to a few moments this week in Hungary.

House, a member of the U.S. National Sprint Team, will compete with his teammates for World Championship medals and Olympic spots at the 2011 ICF Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary, Aug. 17-21.

As well as a Lanier Canoe-Kayak Club standout, House is also a member of the U.S. men's four-man, kayak squad, which will battle in the 1,000 meters.

The K-4 boat, which also includes brother Jake and Luke Michael and Pat Dolan, has been training in Hawaii throughout the past year in an effort to book a spot in the 2012 Summer Games in London.

The men's K-4 heats and semifinals will take place on Friday in Hungary, with the championship races taking place on Saturday.

The U.S. boat does not have to win in Hungary, only finish amongst the top 10 to book a spot in London. To learn more read one of our earlier stories here.

House, 24, is not the only LCKC representative in Hungary. Here is a look at two other competitors:

Emily Vinson, Women's Kayak: "We just arrived in Szeged, Hungary and will be heading down to the race course tomorrow morning. We are all feeling very energized and confident. Both Morgan and I will be racing in K-4s trying to qualify for the Olympics. We must [finish in the] top 10 in the world in order to qualify. We are all chomping at the bit, awaiting our races. We train almost every day, twice a day, all for a race that lasts less than 1 minute, 40 seconds. It's exciting to think about how much work has gone into preparation for this event. We just want to qualify more than anything."

Robert Finlayson, Men's Canoe: "I just like to keep in mind that I will do my best no matter who I am lined up next to or how the racing conditions are. If I do my best, then I will have nothing to feel bad about, so that is what I must do. I hope to gain confidence and experience from this regatta and it will show me where I am in relation to other countries and what I need to do working up to the Pan American Games in late October, which is the Continental qualifier for London 2012."