Obama fetes US Olympians

Friday, February 19, 2010
DENVER: President Barack Obama marvelled at flamboyant US snowboarder Shaun White on Thursday, and the rest of the US Winter Olympics team, saying he stayed glued to his BlackBerry to track results.

"How do you start doing that?" Obama asked a crowd during a rally in Denver, Colorado, a center of the US winter sports industry.

"How do you get up the guts the first time to start practicing doing that," Obama said, referring to White's spectacular gold medal winning performance in the men's halfpipe on Wednesday.

Obama also praised champion downhill racer Lindsey Vonn who won gold and silver medal winning Nordic Combined skier Johnny Spillane.

"I know this state is a training ground for a few winter Olympians," Obama said.

"I just want all of our Olympians to know the USA is proud of you... I am checking my BlackBerry every half hour to see how things turn out."

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US troops in Iraq head to Afghanistan

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