Edward M. Kennedy: “it is a privilege to commend the 17 athletes and the 2 coaches from Massachusetts who earned the honor of representing…”

“it is a privilege to commend the 17 athletes and the 2 coaches from Massachusetts who earned the honor of representing the United States at the winter Olympic games in Lillehammer, Norway, last month. All of these athletes and coaches deserve great credit for their achievements. The outstanding performance of Nancy Kerrigan was a profile in courage because of her extraordinary grace under extraordinary pressure. She skated into the hearts of our country and the world in winning the silver medal in figure skating, missing the gold medal by only the narrowest of margins. I also particularly commend Eric Flaim, who won a silver medal as part of the Men's 5,000 Meter Short Track Relay Team and Karen Cashman, who won the bronze medal as part of the Women's 3,000 Meter Short Track Relay Team. In addition, I want to pay special tribute to a native son of Massachusetts who is currently "on loan" to Yale University, the head coach of the USA Hockey Team, Tim Taylor. Massachusetts is proud of all our athletes who competed at Lillehammer. Their ability, their energy, and their dedication are inspiring examples to us all.”