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Celebrating Olympic Champions

Gallery

  • President Theodore Roosevelt with the 1908 U.S. Olympic Team

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    President Theodore Roosevelt with members of the 1908 United States Olympic Team at Sagamore Hill, his New York residence, in August 1908.

    Library of Congress
  • Eleanor Roosevelt Contributes to Women's Olympic Fund

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    First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt makes the first donation to the Women's Olympic Fund on the South Portico of the White House, on April 10, 1939. The fund was created to help send swimming, track and field teams to the 1940 Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. In 1940, the Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II.

    Library of Congress
  • President Kennedy with Wilma Rudolph

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    President John F. Kennedy meets with American athlete Wilma Rudolph in the Oval Office, on April 14, 1961. Rudolph won three gold medals in track and field during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. She was considered the fastest woman in the world, and at the time of this photograph, was also a student at Tennessee State College in Nashville.

    National Archives and Records Administration
  • President Johnson Picks a Magnolia Blossom for Peggy Fleming

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    President Lyndon B. Johnson plucks a flower from a blossoming saucer magnolia tree in the Rose Garden as a gift for Olympic figure skater Peggy Fleming, on March 27, 1968. Fleming earned a gold medal in the ladies' singles competition at the 1968 Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.

    Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • The Nixons Welcome Members of the 1972 U.S. Summer Olympic Team

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    First Lady Patricia Nixon and her daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhower receive members of the United States Olympic Team in the State Dining Room on August 17, 1972, prior to their departure for the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, West Germany.

    Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • President Ford Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jesse Owens

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    President Gerald R. Ford awards famed Olympic athlete and humanitarian Jesse Owens the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, on August 5, 1976. A track-and-field legend, Owens earned four gold medals during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin.

    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • President and Mrs. Reagan Attend the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles

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    President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan watch the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games from the press box of the Los Angeles Memorial Colosseum in Los Angeles, California, on July 28, 1984. This was the first time a sitting American president opened an Olympic Games.

    Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • President Bush Welcomes the U.S. 1992 Summer Olympic Team

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    President George H. W. Bush laughs and mingles with guests during a reception at the White House for members of the 1992 United States Summer Olympic Team, on August 11, 1992. Originally planned as an outdoor picnic, the event was held across multiple rooms on the State Floor because of rain. Approximately 450 athletes attended the event, where they enjoyed a performance by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Jon Secada and feasted on hot dogs and ice cream bars.

    George Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • President Clinton Attends the 1996 Paralympic Torch Ceremony

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    President Bill Clinton attends a torch relay ceremony on the South Grounds, on August 10, 1996. Swimmer Diane Straub holds the torch aloft, while President Clinton and wheelchair racing, tennis, and basketball athlete Randy Snow look on. The White House was the American starting point of the Paralympic torch relay, prior to the 1996 Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

    William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • President Bush and Former President Bush with 2008 Men's Olympic Swim Team

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    President George W. Bush and his father, former president George H. W. Bush, pose with members of the United States men's Olympic swim team during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, on August 10, 2008. To the right of George H. W. Bush is Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps. At the 2008 Olympics, Phelps set a new record for the most medals earned by an athlete in a single Olympic Games, earning eight gold medals.

    Courtesy of George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
  • President and Mrs. Obama Host White House Event on Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sport

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    President Barack Obama, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, First Lady Michelle Obama, and former Olympic track-and-field medalist Jackie Joyner Kersee watch a balance beam demonstration hosted by gymnast and former Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes on the South Lawn of the White House, on September 16, 2009. The demonstration was part of an event celebrating Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sports that was hosted by the president and first lady in support of the city of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid and to promote sports as part of healthy, active lifestyles.

    Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton
  • President Trump with 2018 U.S. Winter Olympic Team

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    President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence pose outside the North Door of the White House with members of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Teams on April 27, 2018, following their return from the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

    Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks

About this Gallery

Presidents and their families have long recognized athletes as well as the cooperation, competition, and national pride displayed during the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Over the years, this has taken a variety of forms from hosting teams to participating in Olympic traditions at the White House.

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