Washington, DC –
U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and
Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD) praised the passage this week of Senate Resolution 700 congratulating Marylander Michael Phelps and the members and coaches of the United States Olympic Swimming Team for their record-breaking performance at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
“The people of Maryland and all Americans are privileged to have had such an outstanding group represent us at the Olympic Games”, said
Senator Cardin.
“I am proud to have sponsored this resolution honoring the tremendous achievements of Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff, and the entire of the United States Olympic Swimming Team.
I
commend them all for their dedication and valor, and the exemplary way in which they represented our Country.“
“This resolution is a fitting tribute to the athletes who served Maryland and their country in historic fashion at this year’s Olympic Games,” said
Senator Mikulski. “Katie Hoff swam valiantly, winning one silver and two bronze medals at this year’s Olympic Games. As for Michael Phelps: well, Michael Phelps didn’t just break records at this year’s Olympics; he smashed them. His performance will mark him as the greatest swimmer and, perhaps, the greatest Olympian of all time.”
During the 2008 Summer Olympic Games,
Michael Phelps set seven world records and one Olympic record while winning eight Gold Medals, the most ever by an individual athlete in a single Olympics.
He now has won 14 Gold Medals over the course of his Olympic career, also an Olympic record, and a total of 16 Medals.
Katie Hoff also excelled in Beijing, winning one Silver and two Bronze Medals at the XXIX Olympiad.
In addition to winning the Silver Medal in the Women’s 400-Meter Freestyle event, Katie set American records in winning the Silver Medal in the Women’s 400-Meter Freestyle Relay event, in winning the B
ronze Medal in the Women’s 800-Meter Freestyle Relay event and in finishing fourth in the Women’s 200-Meter Freestyle event.
In addition to Senators Cardin and Mikulski, the resolution was co-sponsored by Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow (Both D-MI), Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr (Both R-NC).
The full text is below:
RESOLUTION
Congratulating Michael Phelps and the members and coaches
of the United States Olympic Swimming Team for their
record-breaking performance at the 2008 Summer Olympic
Games in Beijing, China.
Whereas, on August 10, 2008, Michael Phelps of Baltimore, Maryland, set a world-record time of 4:03.84 and won the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter individual medley event, and Ryan Lochte of Daytona Beach, Florida, won the bronze medal in the same event;
Whereas, on August 10, 2008, Katie Hoff of Towson, Maryland, won the bronze medal in the women’s 400-meter individual medley event;
Whereas, on August 10, 2008, Natalie Coughlin of Vallejo, California, Lacey Nymeyer of Tucson, Arizona, Kara Lynn Joyce of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Dara Torres of Los Angeles, California, set a record time for athletes from the United States of 3:34.33 and won the silver medal in the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay event;
Whereas, on August 10, 2008, Larsen Jensen of Bakersfield, California, set a record time for athletes from the United States of 3:42.78 and won the bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle event;
Whereas, on August 11, 2008, Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cullen Jones of Irvington, New Jersey, and Jason Lezak of Irvine, California, set a world-record time of 3:08.24 and won the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay event, with anchor Jason Lezak coming from behind to edge the team from France by 8/100 of a second in 1 of the most dramatic finishes in Olympic swimming history;
Whereas, on August 11, 2008, Katie Hoff won the silver medal in the women’s 400-meter freestyle event;
Whereas, on August 11, 2008, Christine Magnuson of Tinley Park, Illinois, won the silver medal in the women’s 100-meter butterfly event;
Whereas, on August 12, 2008, Michael Phelps set a world-record time of 1:42.96 and won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter freestyle event, and Peter Vanderkaay of Rochester, Michigan, won the bronze medal in the same event;
Whereas, on August 12, 2008, Natalie Coughlin set a record time for athletes from the United States of 58.96 and won the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter backstroke event, and Margaret Hoelzer of Huntsville, Alabama, won the bronze medal in the same event;
Whereas, on August 12, 2008, Aaron Peirsol of Irvine, California, set a world-record time of 52.54 and won the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke event, and Matt Grevers of Lake Forest, Illinois, won the silver medal in the same event;
Whereas, on August 12, 2008, Rebecca Soni of Plainsboro, New Jersey, won the silver medal in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke event;
Whereas, on August 13, 2008, Michael Phelps set a world-record time of 1:52:03 and won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter butterfly event, edging Laszlo Cseh of Hungary by the width of a fingernail;
Whereas Michael Phelps then teamed with Ricky Berens of Charlotte, North Carolina, Ryan Lochte, and Peter Vanderkaay, to set a world-record time of 6:58.56 and win the gold medal in the men’s 800-meter freestyle relay event, beating the team from Russia by more than 5 seconds and winning the tenth and 11th gold medals of Michael Phelps’s career, more than any other athlete in history;
Whereas, on August 13, 2008, Natalie Coughlin won the bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter individual medley event;
Whereas, on August 13, 2008, Katie Hoff set a record time for athletes from the United States of 1:55.78 and finished fourth in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event;
Whereas, on August 14, 2008, Allison Schmitt of Canton, Michigan, Caroline Burckle of Louisville, Kentucky, Natalie Coughlin, and Katie Hoff set a record time for athletes from the United States of 7:46.33 and won the bronze medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle relay event;
Whereas, on August 14, 2008, Jason Lezak tied Cesar Cielo of Brazil for the bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter freestyle event;
Whereas, on August 15, 2008, Michael Phelps set a world-record time of 1:54.23 and won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter individual medley event, and Ryan Lochte won the bronze medal in the same event;
Whereas, on August 15, 2008, Ryan Lochte set a world-record time of 1:53.94 and won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter backstroke event, and Aaron Peirsol won the silver medal in the same event;
Whereas, on August 15, 2008, Rebecca Soni set a world-record time of 2:20.22 and won the gold medal in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke event;
Whereas, on August 15, 2008, Natalie Coughlin tied the record time for athletes from the United States of 53.39, which she herself set, and won the bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter freestyle event;
Whereas, on August 16, 2008, Michael Phelps set an Olympic-record time of 50.58 and won the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter butterfly event, tying 1972 Olympian Mark Spitz for the most gold medals, 7, won by an individual in a single Olympic Games;
Whereas, on August 16, 2008, Margaret Hoelzer won the silver medal in the women’s 200-meter backstroke event;
Whereas, on August 17, 2008, Brendan Hansen of Havertown, Pennsylvania, Aaron Peirsol, Michael Phelps, and Jason Lezak set a world-record time of 3:29.34 and won the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter medley relay event;
Whereas, on August 17, 2008, Dara Torres set a record time for athletes from the United States of 24.07 and won the silver medal in the women’s 50-meter freestyle event;
Whereas Dara Torres then teamed with Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, and Christine Magnuson to set a record time for athletes from the United States of 3:53.30 and won the silver medal in the women’s 400-meter medley relay event;
Whereas Caroline Burckle, Larsen Jensen, and Allison Schmitt each won 1 bronze medal;
Whereas Matt Grevers, Kara Lynn Joyce, and Lacey Nymeyer each won 1 silver medal;
Whereas Ricky Berens, Brendan Hansen, Cullen Jones, and Garrett Weber-Gale each won 1 gold medal;
Whereas Margaret Hoelzer won 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal;
Whereas Christine Magnuson won 2 silver medals;
Whereas Peter Vanderkaay won 1 gold medal and 1 bronze medal;
Whereas Katie Hoff won 1 silver medal and 2 bronze medals;
Whereas Jason Lezak won 2 gold medals and 1 bronze medal;
Whereas Aaron Peirsol won 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal;
Whereas Rebecca Soni won 1 gold medal and 2 silver medals;
Whereas Ryan Lochte won 2 gold medals and 2 bronze medals;
Whereas Dara Torres-
(1) is the first swimmer from the United States to compete in 5 Olympic Games, representing the United States in the Summer Olympic Games of 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008;
(2) won 5 medals at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, as the oldest member of the women’s swimming team at the age of 33;
(3) at the age of 41 is the oldest member of the women’s team by 15 years;
(4) won the silver medal in all 3 events in which she competed in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games;
(5) has won 12 Olympic medals, including 4 gold medals, 4 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals, over the course of her career;
(6) has won at least 1 medal in each of the 5 Olympic Games in which she has competed, making her 1 of only a handful of Olympians to earn medals in 5 different Olympic Games;
Whereas Natalie Coughlin won 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals, becoming the first female athlete from the United States to win 6 medals in 1 year’s Olympic Games, breaking the record of 5 medals she tied in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games;
Whereas Michael Phelps has trained under the expert tutelage of coach Bob Bowman for 12 years, first at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and more recently at the University of Michigan;
Whereas, during the awards ceremony for the men’s 400-meter medley relay event, the Federation Internationale de Natation, the international governing body of swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, and open water swimming, honored Michael Phelps for his historic accomplishment of-
(1) setting 7 world records and 1 Olympic record;
(2) winning 8 gold medals, the most ever by an individual athlete in a single Olympic Games; and
(3) winning 14 gold medals over the course of his Olympic career, another record for an individual athlete at the Olympic Games;
Whereas Michael Phelps’s Olympic performance places him in the pantheon of the greatest athletes of all time; and
Whereas the United States Olympic Swimming Team collectively won 31 medals, including 12 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 10 bronze medals: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate –
(1) congratulates Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Dara Torres, Katie Hoff, Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirsol, Rebecca Soni, and the other members of the United States Olympic Swimming Team for their record-breaking performances and commends them for their dedication, courage, and sportsmanship, and for the exemplary way in which they represented the United States of America while competing in Beijing, China;
(2) congratulates and commends for their devotion, professionalism, and tireless advocacy on behalf of the team and the sport of swimming generally-
(A) National Team Head Coach Mark Schubert;
(B) Head Men’s Coach Eddie Reese;
(C) Head Women’s Coach Jack Bauerle;
(D) Assistant Coaches Bob Bowman, Gregg Troy, Frank Busch, Teri McKeever, Paul Yetter, and Sean Hutchison;
(E) Men’s and Women’s Open Water Head Coaches John Dussliere and Bill Rose;
(F) Open Water Chief of Mission Paul Asmuth; and
(G) the staff of the United States Olympic Swimming Team; and
(3) requests the Secretary of the Senate to transmit enrolled copies of this resolution to-
(A) the United States Olympic Swimming Team at the national headquarters of USA Swimming in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and
(B) Michael Phelps and the North Baltimore Aquatic Club in Baltimore, Maryland, in honor of Michael Phelps’s singular, historic, and inspirational achievement.
