President Obama, describing himself as "fan in chief," honored the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams at a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday.
“I watched you guys do things that I did not think were humanly possible,” Obama said. “I was tempted to run a little bit faster after watching Tyson Gay … or do a few more crunches after watching Michael Phelps and some of the other swimmers.”
Hundreds of athletes, many of them wearing medals, stood on rafters behind the president as he spoke.
Obama said his favorite story from the Olympics was that of sprinter Manteo Mitchell, who broke his left fibula halfway through a 4-by-400 relay but finished the race, helping his team qualify for the finals. The United States ultimately took home the silver medal.
“You guys inspired us, and as president, you made me especially proud to see what you guys did on the world stage,” the president continued. “You could not have been better ambassadors.”
Obama also mentioned that he stopped by the Olympic training facilities on a campaign visit to Colorado Springs, Colo., earlier this year. Obama is statistically tied with Mitt Romney in the critical battleground state of Colorado.
"All of you have stories of determination and perseverance and all of you made incredible sacrifices to get here,” Obama said. “You gave us a summer we will never forget.”
Swimmer Michael Phelps tweeted his excitement ahead of the event.
