Tonight the 2016 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies air from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ushering in two weeks of the world’s greatest athletes going for the gold.
To help get into the Olympic spirit, I found this video of President Ronald Reagan’s remarks to the 1984 United States Olympic Medal Winners in Los Angeles.
The president even managed to get in little digs at Soviet Russia and the Communist Bloc that boycotted the games – he said, “The only losers of the 23rd Olympiad were those who didn’t or couldn’t come.” And he thanked corporations and said they “proved that the profits reaped from a free economy can be used to help our young people compete on an even footing with the state-subsidized athletes of other countries.”
Here is President Reagan congratulating our 1984 Olympic Winners, marveling at the heroics of the athletes and our “nation of champions.”
…ladies and gentlemen of America’s team at the 23d Olympiad—and Bill Simon has said it all—you did us proud. You’re heroes, every one of you living proof of what happens when America sets its sights high and says, “Let’s create a little excellence.”
And you gave us moments that we’ll never forget. There was Blatnick dropping to his knees in thanks. And Mary Lou Retton getting that perfect 10. There was Steinseifer and Hogshead hitting that wall at the exact same hundredth of a second. And Carl Lewis’ smile when he tied Jesse Owens’ record.
There was something very special about the Olympics; there was a special spirit to it. You gave us all such a lift. You gave us something to be unified around and cheer for together. And I think maybe you possibly heard down on the field that cheer. It went something like, U.S.A.! U.S.A.! Well, it doesn’t matter whether you won the gold or the silver or the bronze; the cheer was for you, and for all of you.
The specialness of this Olympics was apparent from the beginning. You walked into the opening ceremonies with a special kind of pride, a vibrant and a very human delight that was transmitted to the crowds and that was picked up by the people who were watching on TV. Throughout the games, I couldn’t help but think that if the people of the world judged Americans by what they saw of you, then they think, “Americans? Well, they’re generous and full of serious effort; they’re full of high spirits; they’re motivated by all the best things. They’re truly a nation of champions.”
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Share this awesome video with your friends… and GO TEAM USA!
