Gymnast Simone Biles stood out at the White House on Thursday where US President Barack Obama hosted the 2016 US Olympic and Paralympic teams to celebrate their record-breaking run in Rio.
Hundreds of athletes clad in red Nike track jackets squeezed into the East Room of the White House as rainy weather forced the reception indoors.
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Simone Seems Happy?
Honouree at the event, 19-year-old Simon Biles who broke records at the 2016 Games, seemed elated just to be in the presence of President Obama and the First Lady.
A seemingly pleased Mr President said:
I was going to do a floor routine on the way out with Simone, but we decided it was a little too crowded.
First Lady Michelle Obama quipped in:
And you can’t touch your toes.
Biles cemented her legacy at the Rio Olympics as she became the first woman (girl?) to win three consecutive world all-round titles and helped America set a new record for most gold medals received in women’s gymnastics at a single Games.
Obama’s Shoutout to Women Athletes, Raised-Fist Protest
President Obama praised Team USA, especially the women, for winning 46 gold medals and for making the United States the first country in 40 years to top the medal chart in every category
2016 belonged to America’s women Olympians. Our women alone won more gold than most countries did.US President Barack Obama
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Obama also paid tribute during the reception to former Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who were invited to attend the ceremony by the US Olympic Committee. The two African-American athletes were sent home from the 1968 Olympic Games for their raised-fist protest on the medals podium.
Obama even went on to attribute part of the success of the US Olympic team to its diversity. After his remarks, Biles and Paralympian Josh Brunais presented Obama with two surf boards signed by Olympians to commemorate the addition of surfing to the 2020 summer Olympics.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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