[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 13373]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 OCCASION OF THE 2000 PARALYMPIC TRIALS

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, this past week, culminating on 
Saturday, June 24th, the 2000 Paralympic Trials for track and field 
were held on the campus of Connecticut College in New London, 
Connecticut.
  Almost 150 athletes competed in a dozen events including the 100 
meter race, 10,000 meter race, shot put, long jump and high jump. 
Seventy-one athletes earned the right to represent the United States at 
the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, which will be held October 18th-29th.
  The Paralympic movement is relatively young, but in recent years it 
has grown rapidly. In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann staged the first 
International Wheelchair Games to coincide with the 1948 London Olympic 
Games. These first Games focused on World War II veterans with spinal 
cord-related injuries. Later, other disability groups established 
international sports organizations which arranged various competitions. 
As time went by, multi-disability competitions developed. These events 
were brought together for the first time under the banner of the 
Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome.
  Since then, the games have grown in success and popularity. Always 
held in tandem with the Olympic Games, the Paralympic athletes move 
into the Olympic village shortly after the Olympic athletes move out 
and many times compete at the same venues as their Olympic 
counterparts.
  From Seoul to Barcelona and most recently in Atlanta, the Paralympic 
Games have blossomed into a major international sporting event. This 
year's Games in Sydney will continue the momentum generated over the 
last decade. In fact, more athletes will compete at the Sydney 2000 
Summer Paralympics (4,000 athletes from 125 nations) than in the 1972 
Munich Olympics.
  To those who competed last week in Connecticut, I think I speak for 
all of our colleagues in applauding their efforts. Like all athletes, 
they remind us of the timely and timeless virtues that sports teach 
us--virtues like self-reliance, discipline, cooperation, and modesty in 
victory as well as defeat. In striving to do their best, they inspire 
others to do their best, as well--be they disabled or not.
  To those who will represent the United States in Sydney, we wish them 
luck. And we are confident that they will do our nation proud.
  I ask that the names of these athletes be printed in the Record.

        Athletes Nominated to the 2000 Paralympic Athletics Team

       Rodney Anderson, Daniel Andrews, Ken Bair, Bob Balk, Lisa 
     Banta, Jennifer Barrett, Cheri Beccerra, Thomas Becke, Trent 
     Blair, Cheri Blauwet, John Brewer, Ted Bridis, Shawn Brown, 
     Jeremy Burleson, Bert Burns, Lynne K. Carlton, Joesph 
     Christmas, Wiley Clark, Ed Cockrell, Shea Cowart, Keith 
     Davis, Ross Davis, Troy Davis, Gabriel Diaz DeLeon, Barton 
     Dodson, Jean Driscoll, Rob Evans, Mark Fenn, Brian Frasure, 
     Jessica Galli, Roderick Green, Deborah Hearn, Jacob Heilveil, 
     Doug Heir, Scott Hollonbeck, and Larry Hughes.
       Tony Iniguez, Val Jacobson, Eric Kaiser, Michael Keohane, 
     Dave Larson, Jeff Lauterbach, Cheryl Leitner, Joseph LeMar, 
     Arthur Lewis, Kenneth Marshall, Vince Martin, Pan McGonigle, 
     Asya Miller, Royal Mitchell, Nancy Moloff, Edward Munro, 
     Lindsay Nielsen, Paul Nitz, Albert Reed, Freeman Register, 
     John Register, Ian Rice, Rich Ruffalo, Payam Saadat, William 
     Schneider, Marlon Shirley, Judy Siegle, Matthew Smith, Amie 
     Stanton, Laura Terry, Tony Volpentesf, Lynn Wachtell, Chris 
     Waddell, Tim Willis, and Dana Zimmerman.

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