The White House Welcomes Team USA Olympians/Paralympians of Milano Cortina

Frequently, since March, I wondered: When will Team USA Olympians and Paralympians of Milano Cortina enjoy the traditional visit to The White House?

Following periodic queries to the USOPC press team, and some weeks receiving/reviewing The White House press corps schedule emails following their instruction to subscribe, the answer finally arrived after bedtime 5 Aug, with fewer than 20 hours' advance notice. 

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR AUG. 6

7:00 PM -- THE PRESIDENT participates in a Team USA Reception

Since this wasn't my first rodeo requesting media access to the Executive Mansion, before dozing I deployed overnight follow-up queries to the USOPC and the Office of Communications at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. By 9 a.m. Aug. 6, there was confirmation this was, in fact, Team USA of Milano Cortina, and by 9:20 a.m., with thanks to a responsive White House press assistant, access was confirmed with instructions to arrive at the security gate around 6 p.m. 

You know, the gate by the row of TV feed cameras, aka the one Charles Grodin drove through in "Dave" and at which the special courier arrived with a stack of hot off the press Washington Posts in "All the President's Men." 

By 10 a.m., with hotel and transit confirmed thanks to banked frequent flyer miles, I was off to ATL airport for an early D.C. touchdown around 3:40 p.m. 

I simply love the approach to DCA, and this visit provided jackpot views of the monuments and Patomac. Then, following an easy Metro ride to the city center, by 4:30 there was time for a quick bite and hotel check-in, then the short hike at 5:30 for the event. 

During the walk, there was time to reflect on past Team USA visits to The White House, some of which are summarized in an official backgrounder. 

My first was in 2016 with President Obama welcoming the Rio team to the East Room, then following the PyeongChang Games of 2018, President Trump was the host for a North Portico ceremony. 

But I had been watching reports of Team USA or Olympic Torch Relay visits as far back as 1984, though the tradition dates back even earlier, in various formal or informal formats.

This blogger's visits three and four took place on the South Lawn with President Biden in 2022 (combining athletes from the pandemic Games of Tokyo and Beijing) and in 2024 after Paris (oops, forgot to write about that one, so no matching link), respectively. 

While the logistics and time of day varied for each Olympiad, I've grown to count on time to appreciate the James Brady Press Room and selfie spots along the walk up from the security gate. Any visit to The White House is special.

And after receiving on-site instructions to hold up in the Press Briefing Room until our escorts arrived, it was a short hurry-up-and-wait before the White House Press Corps. trekked through the Palm Room doors, through the ground-floor corridor and up a carpeted staircase to the East Room in which Team USA athletes were walking accompanied by "Tonight" from "West Side Story" played by the U.S. Marine Band. Our press risers were along the long, west wall of the ballroom, with rows of seated VIPs and cameras facing the athletes on risers between large portraits of George and Martha Washington. 

Minutes later, the music changed to "Hail To The Chief" and the President took the podium.

"It's a real honor to be with stars," said President Trump. "I like being with stars!" 

And for about 15 minutes, the Commander in Chief mostly stayed on script with remarks I suspect were a mashup of talking points from the USOPC and White House speechwriting team. After welcoming and introducing the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury as well as the USOPC's leaders Gene Sykes and Sarah Hirshland, Trump took time to introduce each gold medalist by name, starting with Danny O'Shea, occasionally pausing and stepping to shake hands with each Olympic and Paralympic champion depending on their proximity to the podium.

"Strong legs! How do I get legs like that?" the president said of Jordan Stolz. 

Observing the presentation, more than once I thought to myself, this is actually pretty good. Most of my friends and family are aware of my POVs on the administrations 45 and 47, but the event seemed to break from some norms that usually get under my skin. 

Even after the event, a grizzled Press Corp. veteran near me commented to colleagues, "That was about the best Trump event of this term," in that his warmth for Team USA seemed heartfelt. 

Anyone can draw their own conclusions with the full video provided by The White House:

Two other observations stood out from the experience. 

First, while every Olympian is worthy of brand name status, noticeably many of Team USA's most recognized champions -- think Alysa Liu, Mikaela Shiffrin, Erin Jackson, Elana Meyers Taylor or Lindsey Vonn -- were absent, which was partially explained through on background remarks: "Those [athletes] unable to attend are already back training for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, reinforcing the continuous pursuit of excellence that defines Team USA."

Of Team USA's total 232 Olympians and 72 Paralympians for Milano Cortina, approximately 120 to "nearly half" (sources varied) attended the evening and the day's Athlete Summit organized by the USOPC. The men's hockey team visited The People's House in February, so their roster of athletes did not return, and two of the women's hockey champions -- Abbey Murphy and Joy Dunne, attended in place of the full roster. 

Second, in one of the brief instances when the president did veer off script (minutes 10 to 13 of the video), his remarks about "saving women's and college sports" drew a curious mix of athlete eyerolls or raised eyebrows or glares toward their feet, juxtaposed with a few fellow Olympians expressing nods of approval or brief applause. I was unable to see the reaction of Olympic champion Donna de Varona, seated with Sykes with their backs to the press tribune, given her leadership role with Women's Sports Policy Working Group. 

A shorter Trump improvisation I nicknamed "the FIFA nod" followed around minute 14, earning some confused looks, but soon thereafter there was a return to robust applause as the president delivered apt shout-outs to Utah 2034 and LA28 as upcoming home-turf opportunities for Team USA to shine. 

Then following a presentation of a team jacket and custom shoes delivered by six-time Paralympic skier Laurie Stephens and bobsled's Frank Del Duca, the president invited the athletes to follow him to the Oval Office for photo opps and to receive a special White House coin minted in their honor. 

Patiently waiting for the all-clear to exit the East Room, I chatted up some of the Olympic sponsor reps in the room, eventually trading a few five-ringed Calgary '88 Jeep pins for Milano Cortina skate pins from Deloitte, a sweet new palm tree LA28 pin from Cisco, and the most coveted jewel of the experience: Team USA's 2026 White House Visit pin, this time a 1.5-inch blue square (it was only later I noticed the designer's likely AI-enabled flaws including too many ground level arches and too few doors illustrating the mansion's south face). 

And maybe 10 minutes later, back in the Press Briefing Room, they called "lid" -- the lingo for the president's official appearances du jour coming to a close. With a brief thunderstorm raging outside, several reporters stayed for the showers to clear, thankful the East Room ceremony was a fun and dry success, moved at the last minute from the newly paved Rose Garden. 

Who could resist another pose at the podium?

The walk back to the hotel included a nice surprise. Waiting to cross H Street after exiting Lafayette Square, Team USA came into view again at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters, site for an afterglow gathering of VIP athletes and Team USA sponsors. 

Walking toward the main entry, the first bus of athletes simultaneously arrived, a jackpot of conversations and more pin exchanges, and peeks at the White House coins (unfortunately, my camera did not capture one, but a view is available here via skeleton athlete Austin Florian's Instagram). It was fun to briefly chat again with speedskaters Sarah Warren and Stolz, who seemed to recall our Olympic Village conversations and pin swaps of February (Sarah also encourages fans to attend the upcoming Long Track World Cup qualifying competitions at Pettit Center in Milwaukee and elsewhere, as listed by U.S. Speedskating). 

I also enjoyed a slightly longer post-event conversation with bobsledder Sophia Kirkby, the athlete who made her own ceramic pins as traders and gifts at the Cortina Olympic Village. She seemed genuinely pleased to receive a ceramic Olympic item my sister and I created last Christmas, and Kirkby was generous in gifting us two of her newest designs before answering some questions about July 4 travels for USA 250, her recent "engagement" and other dating adventures as celebrated on her Instagram, and the extent to which grief is a powerful force in life. 

My sincere wish is she'll be open to an extended interview about these and other topics on her journey to Alpes 2030.  

Image credits: Still from "All The President's Men" via Warner Bros.; all other photos by Nicholas Wolaver may not be used or reposted/reprinted without written permission. 

The Word of the Street

Olympic champion Picabo Street may exude fearlessness.

After all, she built her successful downhill ski career by careening as fast as possible down the slopes.

During yesterday's special appearance at the suburban Atlanta corporate office for U.S. Olympic partner Citi, Street did talk about fear and how she tackles it through lessons learned from family, friends and coaches.

"Replace your fears with the task at hand," said Street.

The three-time Olympian said pausing to assess one's frightening situation only makes it more difficult, likened to standing on a high-dive -- the longer one waits or taking time to look down, the harder it gets to just take the plunge.

Street is heading to Sochi with Citi as an ambassador in the company's five-ringed Every Step of the Way initiative through which Olympic fans may help channel donated funds to one of 10 designated Team USA affiliate nonprofits. With just a few clicks online, anyone may elect to support Street's charity of choice, ski and snowboard safety organization Stay On the Slopes. (Disclosure: The P.R. firm for Citi Every Step, MATTER, is an agency for which I will freelance in Sochi.)

Does Street have fear about heading to Russia? Probably yes.

"[Please] pray for us all, for our safety," Street said to about 100 Citi employees in attendance.

To overcome her apparent concerns about personal security in Sochi, Street's selected tasks at hand include her Citi project and an on-air gig with Michelle Kwan as the duo will appear as Fox Sports One correspondents. With a smile and nervous chuckle, Street mentioned the network's plans to activate the pair of Olympians as hard news anchors if the need arises.

But the prospect of frightening Sochi scenarios was only a brief portion of Street's 45 minute, mostly unscripted, very animated and often hilarious chat with Citi team members. Observing Picabo's great storytelling techniques and "keeping it real" demeanor reminded me of great scenes portrayed by Melissa McCarthy.

 

With one of her sons joining the event for "mom's take the kids to work day" Street shared many stories of her own upbringing as a tomboy coming of age in Idaho.

Street explained that some of her earliest memories of skiing went back to a day when her older brother and father left her home to hit the slopes. Upon their return, Street made a strong case for future inclusion, donning her brother's oversized-for-Picabo boots and other gear.

When she finally did get to join the family ski experience, she was all about getting to the bottom of the hill with haste.

Street said she was more afraid of getting pushed off the chair lift than speeding down the mountainside with as few turns as possible.

"I tried turning but it only slowed me down," Street said.

At age 10, Street started telling family and friends of her Olympic aspirations. After many unheeded conversations, her dad finally turned the tables on the young female skier.

"He said, 'O.K., we're going to put all of the family apples into [Picabo's Olympic dream] basket, so it might get heavy -- don't drop it!'" said Street.

No pressure!

Of her many years among the world's best skiers, Street cited a point of pride was rallying her U.S. teammates to dominate. She also cherishes the friendships made with Team USA and European peers.

On those who inspired her most, Street said fellow Lillehammer '94 Olympian Dan Jansen was the biggest impact and that he "epitomized perseverance."

Perseverance came into play when Street later crashed, breaking both the biggest and smallest bones in her body, her jaw and many other body parts. When I asked her one-on-one how she tackled the frustration of being cooped up for a long recovery, Street was frank about the wrath the experience brought her.

"I was angry!" she said. "I was angry and everyone knew it."

She said she channeled that anger into finding other ways to keep her body in shape for an eventual return to the slopes. Street added that being holed up in the hospital made her achingly anxious to pounce.

"It was like being a hungry tiger pacing back and forth in a cage," Street said. "It's like [a tiger who] can smell blood outside and wants to, can't hardly wait, to attack!"

She said she thinks Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn may be in this place mentally during her own recovery from injury.

When a Citi audience member inquired about getting from greatness level to Olympian level technique in sport and in life, Street said she learned to put the lion's share of focus on improving weakness, and that hard work will help overcome flaws while naturally refining one's areas of strength. She said 2014 Team USA members Mikaela Shiffrin and Patrick Meek each remind her of Street's own drive, speed and hard work.

"All choices have consequences," said Street. "My wish [to get to the Olympics] became a daily choice. It was my wish on everything: birthdays, on the clock at 11:11, anything.

"I used to write the Olympic rings in the frost of the windows on the bus," Street added.

Funny, I used to do that on the bus in Oklahoma. And on the windows of my Volvo last week during Indiana's blizzard.

Further keeping it real, Street said during her Sochi TV project she will make it a point to ask Olympians and celebrities to talk about their "crappiest job" for which Street has her worst: Cleaning toilets. As a youth, Street used to help her mom with house cleaning assignments, perhaps another motivator to hit the slopes with dad and brother.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Vonn Boyage, er, Bon Voyage

Bummed to learn the news of Olympic Champion Lindsey Vonn bowing out of Sochi pursuits due to injuries. It is sporting of her to open up a U.S. Ski spot for a teammate to trek to Russia next month, though curious she opted to announce via Facebook.

I suspect we may see Ms. Vonn lined up as a commentator or other "live from Sochi" personality (she is, after all, the most decorated American skier in history), but only time will tell. It won't surprise me one bit to read of a Vonn run for PyeongChang 2018 as well.

Here's hoping for an injury-free transition and bon voyage to the next phase of Vonn's career.

Another thing that's bummin' me out is that my 1998 Volvo S70 (a.k.a. P.o.S) is frozen in Indiana. I'm posting today from McDonald's (Worldwide Olympic Sponsor) in West Lafayette, Ind., where the high temp of the last 48 hours was just about zero degrees.

Though appreciative of safe and warm place to stay for a few days, I am growing tired of hotel living and ready to get back to Atlanta. But the car steering column remains locked in place, possibly due to subzero cold, but just as likely a mechanical issue with "the usual" crud timing (it was so cold here yesterday the ignition key slot was frozen shut).

Know anyone in Lafayette who wants to chat about the Games? Give me a call at the EconoLodge!

Stay warm, my friends.

Image via AP Photo by Gero Breloer

Poll: Colbert vs. Vonn -- Sexiest SI Cover

Which Sports Illustrated cover star is sexier? Olympian Lindsey Vonn, or would-be-Olympic speedskater Stephen Colbert?

Both SI cover stars are obviously competitive and have legions of fans, so which fan base will answer the call and vote for the "Sexiest SI Cover" for the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games? The Colbert Nation? The U.S. Ski Team?

Drag your mouse over to the right side of the screen to vote in this Olympic blog poll now through next week.

Funniest comment posted in favor of either cover athlete will earn a blog pin by mail (mind your manners in the comments, please). Happy voting!

Here, KT KT KT

Remember the time when Kerri Walsh was wearing that curious black "stuff" on her shoulder during the Beijing beach volleyball games?

It was always my intention to try to learn more about "the stuff" but it slipped my mind.

And then the other day an e-mail arrived from the P.R. team for KT Tape, the proper name for the company/product that contributed to Walsh taking home the gold.

According to their website ...

"KT Tape is an elastic athletic tape that allows athletes to compete at the top of their game. Used as a preventative taping system, KT Tape enables athletes to perform at their highest levels with confidence."

Since we won't likely see too many beach volleyball players in Vancouver (note: if you spot ANY women's beach volleyball Olympians in town, a free blog pin goes to the first person to send me the news tip!), I was curious which Winter Olympic athletes might be donning KT Tape in British Columbia.

Quoth the press release ...

"Athletes from all sports use KT Tape. More and more people are discovering the difference KT Tape can make in their athletic performance. Injuries that usually sideline an athlete are no match for KT Tape. KT Tape provides relief for runner’s knee, tennis elbow, Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, sprains, and general back and shoulder pain, as well as most muscle soreness or pain. All of these injuries respond well to treatment with KT Tape, allowing people to remain active while injured."

The tape is also available now to consumers.

Anyone else wondering whether KT Tape was part of that photo shoot for the new (and "controversial") Sports Illustrated cover featuring Lindsey Vonn?