Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games officially got under way with an Opening Ceremony at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium in downtown Singapore.

With the city skyline providing an impressive backdrop, some 3,600 athletes aged 14 to 18 marched in the Parade of Nations, which was followed by speeches from International Olympic Committee President (IOC) Jacques Rogge and Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee Chairman (SYOGOC) Ser Miang Ng.

“Tonight we open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic Movement,” said President Rogge. “From this moment on, young people around the world have a chance to participate in a global event that combines sport, education and culture.”

The IOC President added that he expected the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, which run from 14 to 26 August, to produce high-level sporting competition within an Olympic environment while at the same time providing the athletes with a platform to learn, share and build friendships through a supporting Culture and Education Programme.

Attending the Opening Ceremony were Singapore Prime Minister Hsien Loong, Coordination Commission Chairman for the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games Sergey Bubka, and Youth Olympic Games Ambassador Yelena Isinbaeva, among others.

Addressing the athletes, President Rogge said their participation at the Youth Olympic Games would help them “learn the difference between winning and being a champion. To win, you merely have to cross the finish line first. To be a champion, you have to inspire admiration for your character, as well as for your physical talent.”

With sport as a foundation, the Youth Olympic Games will give the young athletes their first taste of the Olympic experience and provide valuable lessons that the athletes can leverage in their future careers, be it in sport or other vocations.

Singapore 2010 will feature some of the world’s most talented young athletes from 205 territories who will take part in the 26 sports currently on the Summer Olympic Programme as well as some exciting new events, including 3-on-3 basketball, head-to-head canoe and kayak, and cycling combined (BMX/mountain bike/road).

The Youth Olympic Games will also introduce for the first time the mixed-gender competition format that will see both boys and girls competing in the same event in sports such as triathlon and swimming, among others.

In addition to competing individually for their National Olympic Committees, the young athletes will also participate on teams made up of different nationalities. The mixed events are meant to strengthen bonds between the athletes and foster better understanding of each other’s cultures and backgrounds.

Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps became the first official Ambassador of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

The 16-time Olympic medallist, who is visiting Vancouver to catch some of the Olympic Winter Games action, will support the Youth Olympic Games by encouraging the involvement of young people around the world.

Michael Phelps said “The Youth Olympic Games is an excellent initiative, not only for the athletes competing, but also those who are inspired to get into sport and be more active. I am delighted that I have been given the opportunity to become the first official Ambassador of the Youth Olympic Games, and can’t wait to get working with the YOG team to promote the first event this summer!”

IOC President Jacques Rogge said “We are delighted that Michael is supporting our efforts to launch the Youth Olympic Games. Preparations for the inaugural edition in Singapore are on track, and the IOC is looking forward to welcoming 3,600 athletes to Singapore this summer!”

The first-ever Youth Olympic Games will be held this summer in Singapore. The mission of the YOG is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values.

For more information on the Youth Olympic Games, visit: www.olympic.org/youtholympicgames

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it has issued a reprimand against Svetlana Terenteva, ice hockey player from the Russian Federation for an anti-doping rule violation.

On the afternoon of 6 February 2010, Ms Terenteva was requested to provide a urine sample for a pre-competition doping control. The analysis of the A sample indicated the presence of the prohibited substance tuaminoheptane. Tuaminoheptane is a prohibited substance ‘in competition’ but not ‘out of competition’.

The IOC set up a Disciplinary Commission (DC) on 9 February. The DC heard the athlete on 10 February. During the hearing, the athlete admitted that she had used Rhinofluimucil under prescription to cure a bad head cold in January, but that she had stopped using it on 3 February 2010, as she knew the substance would be prohibited during the period of the Olympic Games, starting on 4 February 2010.

The Disciplinary Commission unanimously concluded that the athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation in that there was the presence of the prohibited substance, tuaminoheptane, in her body, regardless of the date she had taken Rhinofluimucil.

However, the Disciplinary Commission also noted the following:

• the Athlete spontaneously declared that, knowing Rhinofluimucil was a prohibited “in competition” substance, she had therefore stopped taking it on 3 February 2010;

• the Athlete admitted the use of a prohibited substance and confirmed the result of the A sample, and therefore refrained from asking that the B sample be opened for analysis;

• the Athlete’s use of Rhinofluimucil was during an out-of-competition period, at which time the use of the substance was not prohibited;

• the prohibited substance, tuaminoheptane, would be out of her system well before the date of the Athlete’s first competition at the Vancouver Games, namely, 14 February 2010;

• the Russian team doctor was aware that the Athlete had been taking Rhinofluimucil;

• the Athlete was totally open and cooperative;

• this was the Athlete’s first violation during her long career, having participated in the World Championship on four occasions since 2001.

The Disciplinary Commission therefore took the following decision:

I. The athlete, Svetlana Terenteva, Russian Federation, ice hockey is issued a reprimand;

II. The NOC of the Russian Federation is reminded to ensure, by all means, that the athletes and officials of its delegation comply with all anti-doping rules;

III. To forward this Decision to the International Ice Hockey Federation for any further action within its own competence, as it may deem appropriate; and

IV. This decision shall enter into force immediately.

The full decision can be found here.

Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, testing takes place under the IOC’s auspices from 4 to 28 February. Within that period, the IOC systematically performs tests before and after events. After each event, the IOC systematically carries out tests on the top five athletes plus two at random.

For the duration of the Vancouver Games, the IOC will carry more than 2,000 tests, of which around 500 will apply to urine EPO detection and 400 will be blood tests.

As of 10 February, 634 samples have been collected.

On 14 August 2010, Singapore will open its doors to 3,600 of the world’s best young athletes for the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG). To celebrate the countdown, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has  launched the visual identity of the Youth Olympic Games – “YOG-DNA”.

The “YOG-DNA” label can be viewed on the YOG website, “the Cube” www.olympic.org/yog, and will be integrated into all YOG digital and social media concepts in both the build-up to Singapore 2010 and future YOG editions. A film has also been created, which takes the viewer on a journey to understand what it means to have YOG-DNA.

“YOG-DNA” is targeted at young people as a label. It represents the attitudes and freedom of young people. The YOG-DNA label will be amalgamated for the first time into a Youth Olympic Games emblem for Innsbruck 2012, which will be launched in February during the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “The 200-day countdown is a great milestone in our journey to the Youth Olympic Games. So much has been achieved over a short space of time and we are now in the final stretch. We are not only building an event for the world’s most talented young athletes, we are creating a platform to communicate to young people worldwide to interact through sport, culture and education, all of which is underpinned by YOG-DNA, the Spirit of the Youth Olympic Games”.

The Singapore Organising Committee (SYOGOC) is also celebrating the 200-day countdown by announcing the route of the “Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame” (JYOF), an initiative that intends to bring the Spirit of the Youth Olympic Games to each continent. The Flame will be lit in Athens in July and its journey will visit five international locations, including Berlin (Germany), Dakar (Senegal), Mexico City (Mexico), Auckland (New Zealand) and Seoul (Republic of Korea), before arriving in Singapore in August. Further details can be found on www.singapore2010.sg.

Snowboarder Featured on Stamp

The U.S. Postal Service commemorates the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with the issuance of a stamp featuring an illustration of a snowboarder. The stamp goes on sale today in Park City, UT, and in Post Offices across the United States. The XXI Olympic Winter Games will be held Feb. 12-28, 2010, in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

First-day-of-issue ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Stamp immediately follow the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Park City Mountain Resort, Park City, UT. Alan C. Kessler, member, Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, and Dick Coe, Executive Vice President and chief operating officer, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, are the dedicating officials.

“We are proud to support the Olympics and are pleased to be able to continue the tradition of honoring the Games by issuing postage stamps celebrating different Olympic sports,” says Gov. Kessler.

Illustrator Steve McCracken captures the thrill of Olympic sports in his portrayal of an airborne snowboarder against the backdrop of a snow-capped mountain.

Stamps featuring Olympic themes have been popular since the first modern Olympiad in 1896, when Greece issued 12 Olympic-themed commemorative stamps. Beginning in 1932, when the Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, CA, numerous U.S. stamps have honored the Games.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

This will be the second Olympic Winter Games, after the 1988 Games in Calgary, to be held in Canada, but the country’s historic ties to the event go back much further. Canada helped usher in the first Olympic Winter Games — at the Alpine resort of Chamonix, France, in 1924 — by joining with Central Europe to persuade the International Olympic Committee to add an “International Winter Sports Week” to the Games planned for that year.

For the Games in Vancouver, the Olympic torch relay is expected to be the longest to take place in a single country. Thousands of Canadians will participate in carrying the torch from Victoria, BC, through every province and territory of the country. After reaching St. John’s, NL, in the east, the torch will then make its journey back to British Columbia.

More than 80 countries will participate and some 5,000 athletes and officials will be involved in the XXI Olympic Winter Games. At least a million people are expected to travel to Vancouver, a beautiful city surrounded by water on three sides with a view of nearby mountains. The main venue for skiing will be the resort village of Whistler, north of Vancouver.

The number of sports designated for Olympic Winter Games has grown over the years. In addition to those included since 1924 — figure skating, ice hockey, cross-country skiing, bobsled, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating — athletes today compete in Alpine skiing, biathlon, luge, and curling, as well as in the newer disciplines of snowboarding, freestyle skiing, and short-track speed skating. After making their Olympic debut in Torino, Italy, in 2006, snowboardcross and the team pursuit speed skating will be officially added to the 2010 program, which will also include the debut of ski cross, a race down a technically challenging course resembling a motocross track.

First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. New stamps may be purchased at a local Post Office(TM), at The Postal Store® website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Stamp
Main Post Office
2100 Park Avenue
Park City, UT 84068-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by March 23, 2010.

First-Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products
Three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
– 440061, First-Day Cover, 0.82.
– 440091, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
– 440093, First-Day Cover Keepsake, $9.95.

Source: U.S. Postal Service

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the qualification system for each event at the first Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which will be held in Innsbruck in 2012. This follows the previous EB approval of the sports competition programme.

The qualification system for each sport and discipline, which was prepared in close collaboration with the International Federations (IF) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), strives to guarantee participation of the best athletes in their age category.

For all disciplines, competitions such as Junior World Championships and Continental Championships, or official junior ranking lists, will allow athletes to attempt to qualify for the YOG.

Over 1,000 athletes will compete in Innsbruck in seven sports, comprising 63 events. The number of sports on the programme is identical to the Vancouver programme. Each event has its own age group* competing, either 15-16, 16-17 or 17-18 years old. The bobsleigh age group will be 18-19 years old, and male participants in the pairs and ice dancing skating events will be 15-18 years old, to comply with the specificities of the sport.

The Youth Olympic Games will see some events differ from those of the Olympic Games. A hockey skills challenge and women’s ski jumping will be included. Mixed–gender and mixed-NOC team events will take place in biathlon, curling, luge (artificial track), skating (figure skating, short track speed skating and speed skating with mass start), and skiing (Alpine skiing and ski jumping). The combination of cross country skiing and biathlon will be organised as a mixed-gender team event.

Besides the sports competition programme, the YOG will feature an extensive Culture and Education Programme (CEP), which aims to introduce young athletes to Olympism and the Olympic values, and to raise awareness on important issues such as the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the fight against doping and their role as sports ambassadors in their communities.

The Executive Board discussed the general progress of preparations by IYOGOC for the YOG, which are on time and moving ahead steadily.

* The age being the athlete’s age on 31 December in the year of the YOG.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced sanctions against five athletes who participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for having committed anti-doping violations. These five athletes tested positive for mirCERA© (CERA), a third generation of the endurance-enhancing hormone, EPO.

The samples were collected and tested at Games-time and were subject to further analysis earlier this year when a fully validated test to detect CERA became available. Originally, six athletes showed adverse analytical findings in their A samples. However, one athlete was not sanctioned due to the presence of CERA not being detected in her B sample.

All six athletes had the opportunity to be heard by an IOC Disciplinary Commission.

Two of the athletes sanctioned are medallists:
- Rashid Ramzi from Bahrain, gold medallist in the 1500m (athletics) and
- Davide Rebellin from Italy, silver medallist in the individual road race (cycling).

In these two cases, the IOC Disciplinary Commission forwarded its recommendations to the IOC Executive Board, which took the following decisions:

The athlete, Rashid Ramzi, Bahrain, Athletics -

* shall be disqualified from the Athletics Men’s 1500m event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where he had placed 1st.
* shall have his medal and diploma in the above-mentioned event withdrawn.
* The International Association of Athletics Federations is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
* The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Bahrain is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medal and diploma awarded to the Athlete in relation to the above-mentioned event.
* The NOC of Bahrain shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
* This decision shall enter into force immediately.

The athlete, Davide Rebellin, Italy, Cycling -

* shall be disqualified from the Men’s Cycling Road event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where he had placed 2nd.
* shall have his medal and diploma in the above-mentioned event withdrawn.
* The Union Cycliste Internationale is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
* The NOC of Italy is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medal and diploma awarded to the Athlete in relation to the above-mentioned event.
* The NOC of Italy shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
* This decision shall enter into force immediately.

In the other four cases, which did not involve medallists, the IOC Disciplinary Commission was the decision-making body. The decisions are as follows:

* The athlete Stefan Schumacher, Germany, Cycling, is disqualified from the Men’s individual Time Trial event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where he placed 13th;
* The Union Cycliste Internationale is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
* This decision shall enter into force immediately

* The athlete, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greece, Athletics, is disqualified from the Women’s 20km Walk event of the 2008 Olympic Games where she placed 9th;
* The International Association of Athletics Federations is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
* The decision shall enter into force immediately.

* The athlete, Vanja Perisic, Croatia, Athletics, is disqualified from the Athletics Women’s 800m event (Round 1, Heat 3) of the 2008 Olympic Games, where she had placed 6th;
* The International Association of Athletics Federations is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
* This decision shall enter into force immediately.

In the case of Yudelquis Maridalin Contreras from the Dominican Republic, who placed fifth in the Women’s 53kg weightlifting event, the IOC Disciplinary Commission decided that:
on the basis of the proof currently available in the present case, no sanction shall be imposed upon the athlete Yudelquis Maridalin Contreras.

* The IOC’s right to re-open a disciplinary procedure is reserved in the event that new evidence comes to light.
* The International Weightlifting Federation and the NOC of the Dominican Republic shall be informed of this decision.
* This decision shall enter into force immediately.

Background information:
As part of its zero-tolerance policy against doping, the IOC is storing samples collected during the Olympic Games for eight years. This allows the IOC to analyse samples retroactively should new fully validated tests to detect new prohibited substances/methods become available. The latest round of further analyses, which began in January, took advantage of improved technology to seek evidence of the prohibited use of CERA and insulin. Most of the work was conducted at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne, in close collaboration with the accredited laboratories in Paris and Cologne.

Strong anti-doping programme in Vancouver:
During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, approximately 2000 doping tests – 1600 urine and 400 blood – will be conducted under the authority of the IOC. This represents a 67% increase from the last Olympic Winter Games in Turin in 2006.

Ten months after the announcement of the host city on 12 December 2008, the Innsbruck Organising Committee (IYOGOC) has established all the foundations necessary to stage the Games in 2012. “We are impressed with the progress of preparations and the quality of the venues to be used for the Youth Olympic Games. IYOGOC is very much on track with the involvement of all local authorities through the Olympia Forum Tirol,” said Gian-Franco Kasper, Chairman of the Coordination Commission, at the end of the visit.

The Coordination Commission had the opportunity to visit all venues in Innsbruck and Seefeld that will stage the 63 events in seven sports.

IYOGOC presented its updated Youth Olympic Village concept which defines the location of dining facilities and services for NOC delegations at Innsbruck Congress Centre alongside the Culture and Education Programme (CEP) activities. The members* of the Coordination Commission are convinced that this combination of facilities will foster a sociable and highly interactive atmosphere where athletes will be able to live together and learn in optimal conditions.

The Organising Committee presented its initial CEP concept and how it intends to reach out to young people both digitally and physically through partnerships such as Tirol Marketing Service. “The Youth Olympic Games shall be a great experience not only for the athletes, but also for the whole Tyrolean community,” said Tyrolean Vice-Governor Hannes Gschwentner.

One of the greatest challenges faced by IYOGOC will be the timely construction of the apartment buildings that will constitute the residential zone of the Youth Olympic Village. The project will require close monitoring and collaboration between the Organising Committee and the developers to ensure that construction and planning are well integrated.

”Presentations were of a high standard and we have the feeling that our partners in Innsbruck have well understood the mission entrusted to them. With only two years to go before the opening of the Games, we will have to keep up both pace and vigilance with regards to preparations,” concluded Gian-Franco Kasper.

During preparations, Innsbruck will of course also benefit from the experience of the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010.

The Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, to be held between 13 and 22 January 2012, will bring together 1,048 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from approximately 80 National Olympic Committees to compete in the seven sports on the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games programme. A fully fledged education programme will raise participants’ awareness of the Olympic values and topics like healthy lifestyles and the fight against doping. A number of communications initiatives will link the youth of the world with the event. A culture programme will ensure a festive and pleasant atmosphere within the host city.

*Members of the Coordination Commission: Gian-Franco Kasper, IOC member and Chairman; Ottavio Cinquanta, IOC member; Pernilla Wiberg, IOC member; Rebecca Scott, IOC member; Victor Khotochkin, NOC representative; Robert Storey**, IF representative; Janko Dvorsak, EYOF Coordination Commission member; and Gilbert Felli, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director. The Coordination Commission is the group of representatives from the IOC and the Olympic Movement who will be monitoring the Youth Olympic Games preparations and guiding the Innsbruck Organising Committee.

(** not present at the 1st Coordination Commission meeting in Innsbruck)

The sports of golf and rugby sevens have been voted today by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session for inclusion in the programme of the 2016 Olympic Games – awarded to Rio de Janeiro. The two sports had been recommended by the IOC Executive Board (EB) in August following an extensive evaluation by the Olympic Programme Commission of the seven sports seeking to enter the programme.

“Both golf and rugby are very popular sports with global appeal and a strong ethic,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “They will be great additions to the Games.”

The two sports, voted on separately in alphabetical order of the sports, golf then rugby, received a simple majority of votes cast by the members of the Session. The result of the first vote was not revealed to the Session until the vote for the second sport had taken place. The IOC President elected not to take part in the vote.

“The International Golf Federation is absolutely delighted by today’s results. We thank the IOC for the thorough process and we are looking forward to playing our part as a member of the Olympic Movement,” said Peter Dawson, Secretary General of the International Golf Federation. “This is great for golf and we hope to be of great benefit to the Olympic Games as well.”

Bernard Lapasset, President of the International Rugby Board, said: “I am so delighted and proud. My thanks to the IOC members for their wonderful support. Rugby is honoured to be a part of the Olympic Sports Programme and we are already looking forward to Rio 2016.”

Golf was played at the Games in 1900 in Paris and in 1904 in St Louis, while rugby was part of the programme of four editions of the Games between 1900 and 1924.

In addition to the two new sports, the Session also voted to accept the list of 26 core sports on the programme for the Olympic Games in 2016.

During the 119th Session in Guatemala City in 2007, the IOC approved a simplified voting process for new sports to enter the programme. The IOC members also requested guidance from the EB in the selection of the new sports and entrusted it to make a proposal to the Session based on the work of the Olympic Programme Commission.

In 2002, the IOC decided to conduct a systematic review of the Olympic programme after every edition of the Games to ensure that it remains exciting and relevant.

Special induction ceremony to serve as Sprint to the Finish Chicago 2016 fundraiser; Inaugural Olive Branch Achievement Award winner to also be announced

The fans have weighed in, the votes have been counted and the results are final. Today, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and Allstate Insurance Company announced the members of the Class of 2009 who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame is the only national sports hall of fame that uses fan voting as part of its selection process. This year’s class is comprised of five Olympians, one Paralympian, one team, as well as three additional individuals: a coach, veteran and a special contributor.

The star-studded inductee list includes Michael Johnson (athletics), Picabo Street (alpine skiing), Teresa Edwards (basketball), Willye White (athletics), Mary T. Meagher (swimming), Sarah Will (Paralympic alpine skiing), the 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team, longtime Men’s Gymnastics coach Abie Grossfeld, skiing veteran Andrea Mead-Lawrence, and special contributor Peter Ueberroth. Amazingly, members of this talented group of athletes, teams and coaches have been a part of a combined 21 Olympic and Paralympic Games and brought home a total of 46 medals.

“Olympians are champions, role models and leaders that inspire us to pursue our passions,” said Tom Wilson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Allstate. “The Class of 2009 continues this tradition and embodies the commitment to excellence and drive to succeed. They make us proud to be Americans. Allstate is proud to honor them as members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.”

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be formally introduced and honored August 12 at a banquet-style induction ceremony at McCormick Place in Chicago. Through a partnership with Chicago 2016, the ceremony will also serve as a final fundraiser for the organizing committee’s bid to bring the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games to the city. The International Olympic Committee will announce the host city on October 2. The induction ceremony, hosted by Dan Hicks and Summer Sanders, will air in a nationally-televised broadcast on NBC on September 5 at 2 p.m. ET.

In addition, a new international award – the Olive Branch Achievement Award – will be introduced and presented at the Induction Ceremony. The award was created to honor an individual who best represents the international ideals of the Olympic Movement by working to build a peaceful and better world through sport. The Olive Branch Achievement Award recipient will be announced in the coming weeks.

“The USOC is very excited to honor this year’s U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame legends who have inspired many generations in this country with their courage and thrilling Olympic performances,” said USOC Acting Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Streeter. “Each of these Olympians is a worthy addition to the Hall of Fame and an overall symbol of the U.S. Olympic Movement. We’re also pleased to continue to partner with Allstate, a company that shares our commitment to America’s Olympians.”

Nominees for the Class of 2009 were selected by a seven-person nominating committee consisting of Olympians, members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, an NGB executive director, and a USOC representative. Fan votes submitted at www.teamusa.org also played an important role in the selection process, with more than 112,000 votes cast during the voting period.

Tables and tickets for the induction ceremony may be purchased online at support.chicago2016.org/halloffame.

About the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Induction Presented by Allstate:

Teresa Edwards, Basketball

Teresa Edwards is the most decorated Olympic basketball player in the world, male or female, with four gold medals and one bronze medal in five Olympic Games. She is the USA’s only five-time Olympic basketball player and one of only three five-time Olympic basketball players (male or female) in the world. She is also one of only three U.S. Olympians to win gold in four different Olympic Games, joining former teammate Lisa Leslie and sprinter Carl Lewis. Only five other non-U.S. athletes have accomplished the feat.

Edwards played on the 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Teams. Those teams combined to achieve a 31-1 record and the 1984, 1988, 1996 and 2000 U.S. teams each went undefeated to claim Olympic gold. All told, Edwards was a member of 20 USA Basketball teams, including two World Championship gold medal teams, and overall, teams with Edwards as a member compiled a 189-13 win-loss record.

Michael Johnson, Athletics

Michael Johnson will forever be known as the golden man of track & field. Wearing his trademark golden Nike shoes, he oftentimes left the rest of the field in his dust with his upright running posture. Johnson won four Olympic medals – all gold – while competing in three Olympic Games. He made his Olympic debut at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and was a part of the World Record-breaking 4×400-meter relay team. His signature moments came at the Atlanta Games, when he became the only man to accomplish the 200-400 double, winning both races with ease and breaking the World Record in the 200 meters. He defended his title in the 400 meters at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Johnson, a Baylor University graduate, won eight World Championship titles. His World Records in the 400 and the 4×400 relay still stand, and his 200 record of 19.32 held up for 12 years until Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt broke it at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Mary T. Meagher, Swimming

Mary T. Meagher, nicknamed “Madame Butterfly,” won three gold medals in swimming at the 1984 Olympic Games, highlighting a decade of dominance that included World Record swims throughout the 1980s. She qualified and was expected to medal at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games but was unable to compete due to the U.S. boycott. She made her Olympic debut at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and won triple gold, taking both the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and swimming the butterfly leg on the 4×100 medley relay. At the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, she finished her Olympic career with silver in the 4×100 medley relay and a bronze in the 200 fly. Meagher was one of eight U.S. Olympians selected to carry the Olympic Flag into the Opening Ceremony of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games

Her success was not limited to the Olympic stage. Meagher captured several medals at the World Championships in 1982 and 1986, including a pair of individual titles. She won 24 National Titles and she also owns two more golds apiece competing at the Pan American Games and the Pan Pacific Championships.

Picabo Street, Alpine Skiing

A three-time Olympian, Picabo Street first joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1989 and earned a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in the downhill. The Sun Valley, Idaho, native left her mark in Olympic history in 1998, taking gold in the Nagano super G by a mere hundredth of a second.

Street medaled in three World Championships, earning combined silver in 1993, and super G bronze and downhill gold in 1996. Winning six of nine World Cup competitions in 1995, Street became the first American to win a World Cup season title in a speed event. After a leg injury and two years of rehabilitation, Street returned to compete in 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City before retiring. With nine career victories, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2005.

Willye White, Athletics

The first woman to compete for the U.S. Team in five Olympic Games, Willye White’s Olympic career spanned 16 years, from 1956 to 1972. Specializing in the long jump and 100 meters, she earned a silver medal in long jump at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne at the age of 16, marking the first time an American woman medaled in the event. She won her second silver medal in 1964 as a member of the 4×100 meter relay team in Tokyo.

White was a member of more than 30 international and national track teams and won 12 Amateur Athletic Union long jump titles during her career. She set seven American records and won 13 national indoor and outdoor titles. She has been inducted into 11 sports hall of fames, including her 1981 induction into the USATF National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

White passed away in February 2007.

Sarah Will, Paralympic Alpine Skiing

Sarah Will had her first run of the mountain at the age of four. From that moment on she was hooked on the sport. In 1988, the Olympic skiing hopeful was in a serious skiing accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. Rather than give up the sport she loved, she took up mono skiing and was back on the slopes just one year later. Four years after her start in the mono-ski, she competed in her first Paralympic Games, winning gold in downhill and super G in 1992 in Albertville, France.

Will won a total of 12 Paralympic gold medals and one silver medal throughout her four Paralympic experiences, making her the most decorated female mono skier in U.S. Ski Team history. In 2002, Will took the Paralympic alpine skiing gold medal sweep, winning all four races, along with the U.S. Paralympic Spirit Award.

1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team

Simply put, the 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team dominated. In the first Olympic Games to allow NBA players, the Dream Team steamrolled the rest of the world on its way to gold. In eight games, they outscored opponents by an average margin of 44 points, including a 121-76 blowout of Lithuania in the semifinals. In the gold medal game, they faced a Croatian squad featuring a few fellow NBA names and culminated in a 117-85 victory.

The star-studded American roster was comprised of NBA player legends: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton, and a legendary coaching staff consisting of the late Chuck Daly, and assistants P.J. Carlesimo, Mike Krzyzewski and Lenny Wilkens. How famous was the group? In addition to fans, players representing opposing teams from all over the world asked for the Americans’ autographs and pictures before each tipoff.

Abie Grossfeld, Coach

Abie Grossfeld served as head coach for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team that earned eight medals, including the U.S. men’s only Olympic team gold medal. He was also the head coach of the men’s gymnastics team at the 1972 and 1988 Olympic Games, as well as assistant coach for the men’s team in 1964 and the women’s team in 1968. He was the personal coach of Peter Kormann, who became the first U.S. man to win an Olympic medal in 44 years with a bronze medal on floor exercise in 1976. Grossfeld also served as head coach for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team at five World Championships and two Pan American Games, including the 1987 Pan Am Games when the men won the team gold medal. The U.S. national coach for men’s gymnastics from 1981-88, Grossfeld coached the first U.S. men’s team that defeated the USSR in 1982. He also served as a collegiate gymnastics head coach for 42 years, spending one year at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and 41 years at Southern Connecticut State University.

As an athlete, Grossfeld represented the USA internationally from 1952-67. He competed in two Olympic Games (1956, 1960), two World Championships (1958, 1962) and three Pan American Games (1955, 1959, 1963: the U.S. won the team gold all three years). At the University of Illinois, he won four NCAA titles and seven Big Ten Championships, as well as the Big Ten Medal of Honor. Additional honors include: National Coach of the Year for USA Gymnastics (1984) and the NCAA (1973, 1975 and 1976); USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame (as an athlete, coach and contributor); and the first and only American to achieve the status of FIG Master Coach (2000).

Andrea Mead-Lawrence, Veteran (Skiing)

Andrea Mead-Lawrence skied at three Olympic Winter Games, including the 1952 Oslo Games where she won gold medals in slalom and giant slalom. Before America became the skiing force it is today, she helped build the U.S. ski program from the ground up to compete with the traditional European powers. Mead-Lawrence became the youngest athlete to be chosen for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Alpine Ski Team when, at age 14, she made the 1948 squad. In her Olympic debut, she finished eighth in the slalom at St. Moritz. Four years later, her double gold performance was lauded by Hall of Fame Olympic film producer Bud Greenspan, who called her his No. 1 Winter Olympian. She concluded her Olympic career in three races at the Cortina 1956 Olympic Winter Games, finishing fourth in the giant slalom. Mead-Lawrence, the only U.S. woman to win two skiing gold medals at one Olympic Winter Games succumbed to cancer on March 30, 2009 at age 76. She is survived by her five children and four grandchildren.

Peter Ueberroth, Special Contributor

Over the last three decades, Peter Ueberroth may have been the most influential figure to the Olympic Movement in the United States. From 1980-84, he was President of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, heading the first private non-profit organization responsible for staging and operating an Olympic Games. Under Ueberroth’s leadership, the Los Angeles Games came away with a surplus of $238 million that continues to support youth and sports programs throughout the United States. Ueberroth was the first Chair of the restructured USOC Board of Directors from 2004-08. He stabilized the leadership of the USOC during a turbulent time, and his leadership created momentum and credibility for the Olympic Movement in the United States. Olympic TV ratings shot up during his tenure, which ended with a record 110 U.S. Team medal tally at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Ueberroth continues to aid the USOC as President in an honorary capacity. He has received the Olympic Order-Gold from the International Olympic Committee, the IOC’s highest honor.

For more information on the 2009 inductees, including bios and photos, and a comprehensive list of existing U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame members, please visit www.teamusa.org.

U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame

The charter class of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was enshrined in 1983, with such Olympic legends as Cassius Clay, Peggy Fleming, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, and the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team. Annual additions continued through 1992, adding Olympic legends such as Bart Conner, Dorothy Hamill, “Sugar Ray” Leonard, Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, and Mary Lou Retton.

In becoming the presenting sponsor of the induction ceremony, Allstate sparked the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame’s revitalization in 2004. During the company’s five-year tenure as a partner, the Hall of Fame has inducted numerous decorated Olympic athletes including: Bonnie Blair, Janet Evans, Florence Griffith Joyner, Dan Jansen, Kristi Yamaguchi, and the 1996 “Magnificent Seven” U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. Following last June’s induction of the Class of 2008, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame currently consists of 213 distinguished athletes and 13 special contributors.

Source: Allstate