[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 34 (Monday, August 23, 2004)]
[Pages 1603-1604]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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The President's Radio Address

August 14, 2004

    Good morning. This past week, the Games of the 28th Olympiad began 
in Athens. Athletes from more than 200 nations gathered at the opening 
ceremony to watch the lighting of the Olympic torch and to begin 2 weeks 
of world-class competition.
    America is proud of our Olympians. The talented men and women of 
Team USA represent almost every State and every background and range 
from 15 to 52 years of age. They are carrying on our Nation's proud 
Olympic tradition, which extends back to the first modern games, held in 
Athens in 1896.
    In the coming days, more than 500 American athletes will compete in 
some 28 sports. In stadiums around Athens and in living rooms here at 
home, millions of fans will cheer for Team USA. We will watch as our 
athletes set new records and create lasting memories, from the track to 
the pool to the gymnastics floor. And we will all be proud to see the 
Stars and Stripes rise when our fellow Americans win medals.
    Success in the Olympics is not defined on the medal stand alone. For 
our athletes, a place on America's team is the culmination of years 
spent training and competing. They are proving that persistence and 
teamwork can help meet high goals. They are performing with honor, 
conducting themselves with humility, and serving as ambassadors of peace 
and good will to the entire world. By showing respect for every 
competitor, they are showing America's respect for the world, and they 
are inspiring us all.
    In Greece, the Olympics are returning to their ancient birthplace 
and also to the birthplace of democracy. These games arrive at a 
challenging hour for the world, yet we have cause for great hope. At the 
opening ceremony, Team USA marched alongside men and women from 
Afghanistan and Iraq, nations that 4 years ago knew only tyranny and 
repression. Today, because the world acted

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with courage and moral clarity, those nations are free, and their 
athletes are competing in the Olympic Games.
    The rise of freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq is transforming life in 
those nations, and its effect will spread far beyond their borders. For 
the first time in history, people everywhere will see women competitors 
wearing the uniform of Afghanistan. For the first time in decades, the 
world will see Iraqi Olympians free from the brutal punishment of the 
dictator's son. Twenty-nine athletes from Iraq are competing in Athens 
including the Iraqi soccer team, which thrilled the world by winning its 
first game. One woman on the Iraqi track team described her outlook this 
way: ``Someone who represents only herself has accomplished nothing. I 
want to represent my country.''
    That same spirit motivates athletes from nations around the world. 
By coming together in friendly competition, all Olympians are sending 
the message that freedom and hope are more powerful than terror and 
despair. As we watch our athletes compete in Athens, we also think about 
the many Americans deployed overseas to defend our Nation. In Iraq, 
Afghanistan, and beyond, our men and women in uniform are serving with 
great skill and compassion. They are making America more secure, and 
America is grateful to all of them and to their families.
    I look forward to following the Olympics over the next 2 weeks. I 
congratulate the coaches and athletes and families of Team USA and also 
the brave Paralympic athletes preparing to compete in Athens next month. 
I wish them all good luck in the games.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at approximately 3:40 p.m. on August 13 
at the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, CA, for broadcast at 
10:06 a.m. on August 14. The transcript was made available by the Office 
of the Press Secretary on August 13 but was embargoed for release until 
the broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.