[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2675-2676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               OLYMPIANS

  Ms. Ayotte. Mr. President, I join with citizens across the Granite 
State in saying ``good luck'' to the outstanding New Hampshire athletes 
who will be among those representing the United States in the 2014 
Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, which begin this week. It is an 
impressive group that brings great pride to our State.
  Nick Alexander of Lebanon is competing in ski jumping. After his 
impressive performance at the Continental Cup Competitions, we look 
forward to seeing him soar through the air in Sochi.
  At age 18, Center Conway native Sean Doherty is the youngest member 
of the 2014 U.S. Olympic biathlon team.
  Nick Fairall of New London grew up enjoying skiing, lacrosse, soccer 
and many other sports, but his true passion is ski jumping. This year 
we will get to watch him jump for the gold in Sochi.
  Andover's Kris Freeman is a veteran Olympian having competed in the 
2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. This year, we will cheer him on 
again as he competes in the cross-country skiing event.
  Competing in slopestyle snowboarding is 2012 world champion Chas 
Guldemond from Laconia. This will be his first time competing on the 
Olympic stage.
  Sixteen-year-old Hanover native Julia Krass grew up skiing at the 
recently reopened Whaleback Mountain

[[Page 2676]]

in Enfield. We wish her the best of luck as she competes in Sochi's 
inaugural slopestyle skiing event, the newest kind of freestyle skiing.
  World renowned alpine skier Bode Miller of Franconia will be 
competing in his fifth Winter Olympic Games the sixth American athlete 
to do so. This year, the decorated Olympian will go for his sixth 
alpine skiing Olympic medal.
  North Conway resident Leanne Smith, who competed in the 2010 Olympics 
in Vancouver, is returning to the Olympics to compete in several alpine 
skiing events, including downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super G, and 
super combined.
  The University of New Hampshire's head hockey coach, Katey Stone, 
will make history in Sochi as the first woman to lead a U.S. Olympic 
hockey team. We will be rooting for her to lead her players to victory.
  D.J. Montigny, who grew up in Dover, will coach three U.S. athletes 
in women's slopestyle skiing. Good luck to D.J. as he advises members 
of Team USA before they head down the slopes to compete.
  Additionally, several athletes from around the U.S. who have been 
educated and trained in New Hampshire have been selected to compete for 
Team USA in various events. Congratulations to hockey players Gillian 
Apps, Kacey Bellamy and James Van Riemsdy; alpine skiers David 
Chodounsky, Julia Ford, Nolan Kasper, Mikaela Shiffrin and Andrew 
Weibrecht; cross country skiers Ida Sargent and Sophie Caldwell; 
freestyle skier Hannah Kearney; and Hannah Dreissigacker, Susan Dunklee 
and Sara Studebaker, who will compete in the biathlon.
  Each of these world-class athletes and coaches has made it to Sochi 
as a result of hours of dedication, perseverance and hard work. They 
have put in long hours at the gym, on the slopes or the ice, hoping 
that one day their Olympic dreams come true.
  I know all Granite Staters are so incredibly proud of this talented 
group of athletes and I look forward to cheering them on as they go for 
the gold in Sochi.

                          ____________________