H. Res. 1527 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

October 3, 2008. 

Whereas the 2008 Summer Olympic Games were conducted 

in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008; 

Whereas 10,500 athletes from 204 countries participated in 

302 events in 28 sports and inspired people around the 

world with their dedication, discipline, athletic achievement, and spirit of fair play, representing the best traditions of Olympic competition; 

Whereas 596 men and women represented the United States 

in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as members of the 

United States Olympic Team; 

Whereas those United States Olympians competed in 27 

sports and continued the great legacy of athleticism and 

sportsmanship that has characterized the history of 

United States Olympic competition; 

Whereas, in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the United 

States sustained and increased its clear dominance as the 

most successful country in the history of the Olympic 

Games; 

Whereas athletes from the United States won more medals 

in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games than athletes from 

any other country; 
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•HRES 1527 EH 

Whereas swimmer Michael Phelps of Maryland earned recognition as one of the greatest athletes of all time by winning an extraordinary 8 gold medals in the 2008 Summer 

Olympic Games to surpass the previous single-year record 

of 7 Olympic gold medals by Mark Spitz, also a swimmer 

from the United States; 

Whereas Michael Phelps now also holds the record for the 

most Olympic gold medals ever won by a single athlete, 

with a remarkable 14 gold medals; 

Whereas, in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the United 

States demonstrated its continued preeminence in team 

sports, with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the 

men’s volleyball team, the women’s soccer team, and the 

men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relay teams winning 

gold medals; 

Whereas more than 200 athletes from the United States competed in 18 sports on behalf of the United States in the 

2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, from 

September 6 to September 17, 2008; 

Whereas the United States Paralympic Team earned 99 medals, including 36 gold medals, reminding the world that 

physical challenges are no limit to human achievement; 

Whereas United States Army First Lieutenant Melissa Stockwell, who lost her left leg to a roadside bomb in Baghdad 

in 2004, became the first veteran of the war in Iraq to 

compete in the Paralympic Games when she swam in the 

women’s 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter freestyle, and 

400-meter freestyle; 

Whereas the people of the United States stand united in respect and admiration for the members of the United 

States Olympic and Paralympic Teams, and the Teams’ 
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athletic accomplishments, sportsmanship, and dedication 

to excellence; 

Whereas the many accomplishments of the United States 

Olympic and Paralympic Teams would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of many others, including the United States Olympic Committee and 

the many administrators, coaches, and family members 

who provided critical support for the athletes; 

Whereas the Olympic movement celebrates competition, fair 

play, and the pursuit of dreams; 

Whereas the United States and, in particular, the city of Chicago, Illinois, celebrate those same ideals; and 

Whereas Chicago has never hosted the Olympic and 

Paralympic Games: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) extends congratulations for a job well done to 

all members of the United States Olympic and 

Paralympic Teams and to everyone who supported the 

Teams’ efforts at the 2008 Summer Olympic and 

Paralympic Games; and 

(2) encourages the International Olympic Committee to choose Chicago, Illinois, as the site of the 2016 

Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and offers sup-
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port and cooperation in ensuring successful Olympic and 

Paralympic Games in Chicago in 2016. 

Attest: 

Clerk.