[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 25, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1026-S1027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRATULATIONS TO WISCONSIN'S OLYMPIANS

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I want to offer my 
heartiest congratulations to the athletes who represented our nation 
and the State of Wisconsin so admirably at the recently-completed 18th 
Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
  Millions of people throughout the world thrilled to the sights and 
sounds of athletes, several of whom overcame great personal hardship, 
pushing themselves to go faster, farther or higher at

[[Page S1027]]

Nagano. We witnessed the full panoply of the human spirit in the arena 
of athletic competition; we were reminded of all the hard work and 
sacrifice demanded of those who would become Olympians; and many of us 
drew inspiration from what we saw.
  Mr. President, Wisconsin sent 29 men and women to the Games in 
Nagano. They competed in speedskating, hockey, curling and even snow 
sculpting. Some brought home medals, and all of them brought back 
indelible memories of competing on the world stage with the world's 
best athletes.
  Best known among them is probably Chris Witty, of West Allis, who 
holds the world's record for the 1,000 meter speedskate and who added 
to her growing cache of honors with a silver medal in the 1,000 meter 
speedskating event and a bronze medal in the 1,500 meter event.
  Another Wisconsinite, Karyn Bye, of River Falls, played forward on 
the historic gold-medal-winning women's hockey team and who, draped in 
the Stars and Stripes after she and her teammates triumphed, showed us 
what pure joy looks like.
  Mr. President, athletes and athletics get a lot of attention in our 
society, sometimes for unpleasant reasons, but I believe there is 
something inherently good about people testing themselves, pushing 
themselves, working individually and together to do their best. That is 
the spirit that motivated these Olympians, and to them we offer our 
congratulations for their efforts, our thanks for their inspiration, 
and our best wishes for their future endeavors. No matter where they go 
from here, I hope they always remember their experiences in Nagano, and 
I hope they retain their capacity to push themselves as far as they 
can, and to encourage others to do the same.

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