On Thursday, Gymnast Simone Biles was received at the White House. The 19-year-old Olympian was honored alongside other 2016 US Summer Olympic and Paralympic teams.
The event was also attended by relatives of Jesse Owen (American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1936 games) and America’s other black athletes from the 1936 Olympics for the acknowledgement they -unlike their white counterparts- were denied of by Franklin Roosevelt 80 years ago.
President Barack Obama was quoted to have said: “Imagine what it means for a young girl or boy who sees someone who looks like them doing something and being the best at what they do. There’s no kid in America who can’t look at our Olympic teams and see themselves somewhere”
Obama also praised the diversity of the team, which came first at the medal table with 46 golds.
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