Biden praises Olympians, extends White House invitation

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“You handle yourself with such grace and decency, that’s right – you’ve made me so proud,” the president told the Olympians group on Zoom from his home in Delaware, where the first couple spend the day. weekend.

Biden praised Olympians Katie Ledecky, who he said “can probably swim a mile faster than most people could run a mile,” gymnast Simone Biles and runner Isaiah Jewett.

He also took the opportunity to invite athletes to visit him at the White House this fall.

“I need a promise from all of you – you will all be coming to the White House in the fall to see us,” Biden said. “We’ll set a date, and I’d love to see you all come to the White House, if you’re willing to do so, so the nation can see and I can brag about you more.”

The president praised the performances of the athletes abroad, telling conference attendees: “I just can’t tell you how, you know, you remind us of how amazing we are, and you make us look so good as a country. “

“These are the things people look at in the world – more than anything I do as president, or other people do in public life, they get a sense of who we are as Americans, who we are …, “Biden added. “Thank you, thank you for the joy, the pride, the hope, the hope that you have given us. That’s what you have done – you have given so much hope to people.”

Biden also praised Biles, who withdrew from tag team competition citing his sanity.
What's next for great gymnast Simone Biles after Tokyo?

“You are leading by example, I really mean it,” Biden told Biles. “You had the courage – no, I really mean it, I don’t play, I don’t play – you had the courage to say, ‘I need help. I need help. , I need time.’ And you’ve given everybody an example – and guess what, you got back on that damn beam, and by the way, the thing that scares me the most is the beam. “

“I tell you what, doing a flip on a four inch beam is my idea to go to purgatory,” said the president.

In a pre-recorded message released on Saturday, the President praised the Olympic athletes for their work before and throughout the Olympics, acknowledging: “I know getting to the Olympics is a long journey, and the pandemic has made it particularly difficult and exhausting, it made the impossible even more difficult. But in you a country saw itself, and saw what was possible. “

“I also know the pride that your families must feel. I know how difficult it was for you and them, that they couldn’t be with you in person. The defining images of the games are on Zoom and FaceTime, calls with families and communities mourn and share with pure joy. To all the families and friends of the United States team – thank you too, “Biden said, adding,” God bless you all, and j look forward to welcoming you all to the White House when you get home. “

Earlier last month, First Lady Jill Biden was one of 950 personalities invited to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Tokyo, where, during her brief participation in the games, she played the role of pom-pom girl in chief, both literally and figuratively.

Jill Biden brings a dose of normalcy to the Olympic Games in the midst of a pandemic
“Becoming an Olympian is a rare accomplishment in normal times. But you did it during a global pandemic,” she told the athletes in a virtual conversation in the Olympic Village. “In these moments, we are more than our cities, our states or our backgrounds. We are more than our jobs or our political parties.”

This story has been updated with details of Biden’s call to Team USA.

Rachel Janfaza of CNN contributed to this report.

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