[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2846-2847]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NEW HAMPSHIRE OLYMPIANS

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to congratulate the athletes from 
New Hampshire who represented our country at the Olympic games in 
Vancouver.
  As I watched the games over those 2 exciting weeks in February, I 
know I joined all Granite Staters in celebrating New Hampshire's 
enduring tradition of excellence in winter sports.
  More than 125 years ago, in 1882, residents of Berlin, NH, formed the 
first modern ski club in America.
  In 1927, the Dartmouth Outing Club organized the first downhill race 
in the United States at Mount Moosilauke in New Hampshire's White 
Mountains, where the Outing Club still hikes to this day. The next 
year, a Dartmouth professor organized the country's first slalom race.
  In the 1930s and 1940s, as skiing grew in popularity, J-bars and 
chairlifts were added at mountains in Europe, in the West and across 
New England, but none could rival Cannon Mountain's Aerial Tramway in 
Franconia, which was built by the New Hampshire State Legislature and 
continues to be the platform from which millions of visitors first see 
our White Mountain range.
  At the 1960 winter games in Squaw Valley, CA, 37 years after that 
first race in the White Mountains, a 22-year-old from Center Harbor 
named Penny Pitou became the first American to win an Olympic medal in 
downhill. The great ``Skiing Cochrans'' have roots on both sides of the 
Connecticut River, including Barbara Ann, who won a gold medal in 1972, 
her brother Bob, and Bob's son Jimmy, who competed in the slalom in 
Vancouver and grew up in Keene.
  There were 12 athletes on the U.S. team in Vancouver who have strong

[[Page 2847]]

New Hampshire ties. On the Alpine team, Jimmy Cochran was joined by 
Leanne Smith from Conway and Bode Miller from Franconia, along with 
Andrew Weibrecht, an environmental studies major at Dartmouth.
  Hillary Knight from Hanover competed in her first Olympics as the 
youngest member of the U.S. Women's ice hockey team. And from just down 
the road in Lebanon, Nick Alexander competed in three ski jumping 
events including the normal hill event, known in the sport as the ``NH 
Individual.''
  Kris Freeman from Andover competed in his third Olympic games in 
Nordic skiing. Kris trains at Waterville Valley, alongside Michelle 
Gorgone and Hannah Kearney, members of the famous Waterville Valley 
Black & Blue Trail Smashers Club. Snowboarder Scotty Lago from Seabrook 
went to his first Olympics in Vancouver after years of practice at 
Waterville and Loon. My husband Billy would want me to mention that he 
went to Dover High School with Jim Westcott, father of snowboarder Seth 
Westcott, who won back-to-back golds in snowboard cross.
  The New Hampshire medalists at these Vancouver Games were really 
spectacular. Scotty Lago spoke with such pride about representing 
Seabrook and all of New Hampshire when he won a bronze medal in the 
men's halfpipe competition. We are all very proud of Andrew Weibrecht, 
who won bronze in the Super-G, and Hillary Knight, who took silver with 
her team.
  Of course, the State is still celebrating Bode Miller, who, by 
winning a gold, silver, and bronze medal on the Whistler slopes, became 
the most decorated American alpine skier in history.
  But I am proud of every Granite Stater who represented our country in 
these Games. As someone in elected office, I can tell you that not 
every race goes exactly how you would like. What is important is that 
each of you has achieved so much through focus and hard work, far away 
from the spotlight. You represent the best of our State.
  Finally, I want to take a moment to recognize Tyler Walker of 
Franconia and Chris Devlin-Young of Campton, who will be skiing for 
Team USA later this week at the Vancouver Paralympic games. The 
Paralymic games continue to shine as an example to the world of what 
each of us can achieve. Thank you for representing our State and our 
country. Good luck.

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