Bush Gives Athletes A Proper Send-Off

U.S. Olympians Feted at White House

With the Olympics less than three weeks away, the issue of whether to attend the Opening Ceremonies on Aug. 8 remains fraught with symbolism and sensitivity for many world leaders. But President Bush reiterated his decision to take part with unbridled enthusiasm yesterday, telling a delegation of Beijing-bound U.S. Olympians and Paralympians, "I'm fired up to go."

The remark was met with warm laughter from the roughly two dozen members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team who were invited to the White House for an official send-off that included a tour of the Oval Office yesterday morning and a formal dinner in the evening.

"I can't wait to salute our athletes," the president said. "And I can't wait to share the joy of your triumphs."

It was hard to say who was the bigger fan on a sun-drenched morning in the Rose Garden: President Bush, who was presented with a red-and-blue Olympic jersey by pitcher Jennie Finch, who led the U.S. softball team to gold at the 2004 Athens Games, or the athletes themselves.

"He's a very special man," said Kerri Walsh, who invited the president to attend the beach volleyball competition, in which she and her teammate Misty May-Treanor are favored to win a second consecutive gold medal. "He's proud of us; we're proud of him. I'm going to Beijing and do exceptionally now. I'm confident. I swear he has that faith, and that helps us a lot."

Bush used the occasion to underscore the power of sports -- and the Olympics, in particular -- to unite people.

He congratulated the Olympians on their achievements to date. And he expressed confidence that they would convey the nation's most cherished values and represent its character in Beijing, hailing them as "ambassadors of liberty" and "ambassadors of goodwill."

"You will be humble in victory and gracious in defeat," he said. "And by showing respect for your competitors, you will demonstrate America's respect for the world."

With roughly 150 invited guests looking on, the president shook hands with each Olympian and exchanged salutes with paralympian Scott Winkler, 35, of Augusta, Ga., who was paralyzed in an accident while serving in Iraq in 2003.

Mired in depression during his recovery, Winkler said he was "dragged" to a sports camp for injured war veterans by friends who thought it would help. Winkler said he felt he wasn't good enough to take part. He earned a spot on the 2008 Paralympic team by setting a U.S. record in the shot put.

Yesterday he joined his Olympic teammates at the White House, where out of the glare of TV cameras, the president invited the athletes into the Oval Office and explained everything from the historical significance of his desk (a gift from Queen Victoria, with a special panel added during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's tenure to obscure the president's wheelchair) to his selection of the rug (he wanted one that conveyed optimism).

Some athletes got a glimpse of Barney, the president's pet dog. And each got a picture taken with the president.

Said Erinn Smart, 28, a fencer who will be competing in her second Games: "The Olympics are about sport; not a political event. You have 10,000-plus athletes joining in from 205 countries. And it's a time, I think, that people can put down their arms and compete.

"I think that's the real ideal behind the Olympics; it's not about the politics. Because President Bush understands that it's about sports and not politics, he is able to support us. And that means a great deal."