[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18917]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          RECOGNITION OF LINDSAY BENKO, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

 Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a 
remarkable young athlete from the great state of Indiana.
  Yesterday, Americans watched with pride as 23 year-old Lindsay Benko 
and her teammates captured the gold medal in the 4x200 freestyle swim 
relay. The team did it in style, setting an Olympic record with their 
time of 7:57.80.
  With that victory, Lindsay became the first Hoosier to win a medal at 
the 2000 Summer Olympic games in Sydney, Australia.
  Lindsay hails from Elkhart, Indiana, a small town in the shadow of 
Notre Dame's famous golden dome. In a town where football rules, today 
it is Lindsay Benko who has captured the headlines and inspired pride 
in Elkhart and South Bend.
  Like so many other Olympic athletes, Lindsay has been preparing for 
her Olympic moment since she was very young, in fact, she has been 
swimming competitively since she was eight years old. Lindsay has 
dedicated her life to a sport she loves, and worked hard to be among 
the best. As early as her freshman year at Elkhart Central High School, 
she was a state champion. In high school, she won a total of eleven 
state titles, four in the 100 meter freestyle, four in the 200 meter 
freestyle, and three in the 400 meter freestyle relay. After 
graduation, Lindsay took her competitive fire and winning Hoosier 
spirit to the University of Southern California, where she won a total 
of five NCAA individual titles.
  Yesterday, Lindsay conquered her sport at a new level. She can now be 
called a world-class athlete and a world champion, but we will continue 
to proudly claim her as our own in the state of Indiana.
  Mr. President, I join my friends in Elkhart, South Bend and across 
Indiana in congratulating Lindsay Benko for her outstanding 
accomplishment, and wishing the best of luck to all of our nation's 
Olympic athletes as they compete in the 2000 Summer Olympic 
Games.

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