[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 128 (Thursday, September 20, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6533-S6534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO 2012 UNITED STATES OLYMPIAN ALY RAISMAN

  Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts. Mr. President, heading into the summer 
games, much of the focus was on the superstar athletes considered our 
best hope to bring home the gold. Certainly this was the case with 
Michael Phelps, LeBron James, and Sanya Richards-Ross, who seemed 
destined to secure gold medals for their teams. Yet, as is often the 
case, the Olympics produced upsets and triumphs and story lines that no 
one could predict. This is such a story.
  Alexandra Raisman from Needham, MA, was the obvious choice for 
captain of the U.S. women's gymnastics team in the 30th Olympiad. She 
was coached by the best, the award-winning Mihai Brestyan, who, along 
with his wife Silvia, owns Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club in 
Burlington, MA, one of our country's top training facilities for 
gymnasts at all levels. Mihai also coached 2008 Olympic silver medalist 
and Winchester, MA native Alicia Sacramone.
  Aly was calm under pressure, a solid performer, and could be counted 
on to consistently do exceptionally well. There seemed to be a peace 
about the

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American gymnastics captain; watching her was a remarkable lesson in 
focus. ``Reliable Raisman,'' as she was called, would be USA 
Gymnastics' foundation and, with the help of her teammates, would 
compete for individual gold medals and an elusive team gold against the 
world's best.
  The day before the all-around team competition, Aly's teammate, the 
No. 1 gymnast on Earth in the individual all-around, fell. A team gold 
now hanging in the balance, her teammates covered their mouths and 
fought back tears as their coaches nervously paced. In a hushed arena, 
the cameras and the eyes of tens of millions of TV viewers turned to 
Reliable Raisman, who would now have to turn in the performance of a 
lifetime to secure gold for the American women.
  Aly had in several previous competitions selected a modern rendition 
of ``Hava Nagila,'' the popular Jewish folk song of celebration, as the 
music for her anything-but-routine floor exercises. Meaning ``let's 
rejoice'' in Hebrew, the song seemed a natural choice for this young 
woman, whose Jewish heritage is a central part of her life and family. 
After steady performances in the vault, beam, and uneven bars, the 
opening notes of ``Hava Nagila'' rang through the arena for her floor 
exercise. Before her routine, a TV commentator remarked that for Aly to 
secure the gold would require an ``unreal'' performance and a tumbling 
run that many thought ``was not possible.'' Raisman exceeded 
expectations as she executed her tumbles and stuck her landing with a 
brilliant smile. This near-perfect floor routine solidified the first 
gymnastics all-around gold for American women since 1996.
  A gold medal was also on the line as Aly again drew the world's 
attention to a 12-by-12 meter mat in London for the games' final 
gymnastic event. Raisman's floor routine came on the heels of a bronze 
medal in the individual balance beam competition providing her with a 
boost of confidence. A slow motion replay of her final tumbling run 
showed her tears of joy beginning before she stuck her final landing as 
she knew she would be the first American woman to win gold in the floor 
exercise.
  In closing, Aly Raisman did more than win our Nation's first ever 
Olympic gold medal in the women's floor exercise, did more than deliver 
the first women' gymnastics team gold for American women in 16 years; 
Raisman is an inspiration for the youth of Massachusetts that with hard 
work and dedication to your craft, anything can be achieved.
  Mr. President, I congratulate Aly on her historic gold medal and wish 
her all the best in the years ahead. And to all our Olympians and 
Paralympians, thank you for so ably representing our Nation in the 30th 
Olympiad.

                          ____________________