WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — In an address at the White House on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, President Joe Biden declared the U.S. the "greatest sports nation in the history of the world" as he welcomed U.S. Olympians and Paralympians to celebrate their achievements at this summer's Games in Paris.
Torri Huske, a six-time Olympic medalist, joined her parents, Jim and Ying Huske, to reflect on the journey of Team USA.
With President Biden and fellow Olympians and Paralympians in attendance, Huske celebrated not only her personal triumphs, including three gold medals and two world-record relay performances, but also the collective accomplishments of Team USA.
Below is a transcript of the moment, in which Torri shared insights into the dedication and sacrifices that define Olympic success.
Jim Huske: Now, it is our honor to introduce our daughter, Torri Huske, who won five medals at the Paris Olympics, including three gold, and was part of two world-record relay teams.
Ying Huske: Please, please welcome our daughter, Torri Huske.
Torri Huske: Thank you, Dad, and hello, everyone. On behalf of Team USA, thank you, President Biden, for opening your home to my family and the entire Team USA family. It is so exciting to have us all here, especially since this is the first time we've truly come together as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic class of 2024. Today, we celebrate everything that we accomplished this summer at the Olympics. We topped the medal chart for the eighth consecutive Games with 126 medals.
Our Paralympic teammates brought home an incredible 105 medals. Each medal is a testament to our hard work, determination, and grit. Behind each of these moments of greatness are years of sacrifice. Beyond the medals, so many personal bests were achieved, and iconic performances etched into our history. There's a reason that we're known as the best country in the world. And we not only have the medal count to back that up, but each of us has a story of how we fought to get here.
As amazing as this is, the Olympics and Paralympics are so much more than each of our individual accomplishments. Everyone talks about how the Olympics and Paralympics foster peace and international solidarity, and it's true that they unite countries in the spirit of competition. They also inspire others, and that is what each of us did this summer.
With each competition, we represented not only the flag and its people, but we upheld the legacy that is the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.