President Joe Biden on Wednesday hailed Team USA for bringing a bit of unity to a pandemic-weary nation as he hosted a White House celebration with about 600 athletes from this year's Winter Olympics in Beijing and the coronavirus-delayed Summer Games held in 2021 in Tokyo.
Among the athletes attending the South Lawn ceremony were swimmer and seven-time gold medallist Katie Ledecky, celebrated bobsledder Elena Meyers Taylor and ice dancer Zachary Donahue, as well as competitors from the past two Paralympic Games.
Mr Biden noted the Team USA athletes won about 260 medals in Beijing and Tokyo. Equally impressive, Mr Biden suggested, was the athletes' ability to unite Americans during a period marked by the coronavirus pandemic and deepening partisanship after the 2020 election.
“You represent the very soul of America,” Mr Biden told the athletes. “It's been a very divided nation … but you brought us together. No matter the divisions, when we see you compete, we feel a common pride in those three letters: USA.”
The 2020 Tokyo Games were delayed one year due to Covid-19 and took place last summer, largely without spectators. First lady Jill Biden led the US delegation to Japan.
At the Beijing Olympics this past winter, also held largely without spectators, the US staged a diplomatic boycott due to China's reported human rights abuses against the Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Ms Biden, in her remarks on Wednesday, hailed the athletes for persevering under challenging circumstances, saying Americans were “grateful for the gifts” they gave the country at a difficult time.
“Now I know that these Games may not have been exactly as you once imagined with stadiums packed with people and all of your loved ones screaming from the sidelines,” she said.
“[Being an] Olympian or a Paralympian is a rare accomplishment in a normal time, but you did it during a global pandemic. You are forever one of the most elite, most celebrated athletes in this world.”
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Performers create a flower display with LED lights during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on Friday, February 04, 2022. Getty -
Performers during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. AFP -
China's President Xi Jinping, centre, and his wife Peng Liyuan, right, greet other attendees during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. AFP -
An overview of the National Stadium during the opening ceremony. AFP -
Russia President Vladimir Putin arrives for the opening ceremony. Getty -
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony on Friday. EPA -
Performers create a flower display with LED lights during the opening ceremony. Getty -
Dancers perform during the pre-show ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
View inside the stadium as performers dance during the opening ceremony. Getty -
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the opening ceremony. Getty -
Performer’s dance during the opening ceremony. Getty -
Performers during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the National Stadium on Friday, February 4, 2022. AFP -
Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. AFP -
Firework display during the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing National Stadium. Getty -
A projection display during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Getty -
An overview of the stadium ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. AFP -
A general view inside the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the National Stadium. Getty -
Performers dance during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Getty -
Hosts address the crowd during the pre-show ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics. AP Photo -
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 04: A general view inside the stadium as fireworks are set off during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / Getty Images) -
Inside the national stadium before the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Reuters -
Inside the national stadium before the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. PA -
A woman wearing a face mask holds a Chinese national flag before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Reuters -
Spectators arrive for the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, also known as Bird's Nest, in Beijing China. EPA -
Volunteers hold placards of Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon, mascots of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, during a community event at an Olympics Live Site before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, in Beijing, China. Reuters -
A man waves a Chinese flag as people gather near the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, China. Reuters -
Members of Team United States during the opening ceremony. Getty -
Athletes of China march during the opening ceremony. EPA -
Athletes of China arrive for the opening ceremony. EPA -
Dancers perform around the large snowflake during the opening ceremony. Getty -
Opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Getty -
The Bird's Nest stadium during the opening ceremony. Reuters
