Alaskan Olympians

Floor Speech

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, from February 12 to February 28, Americans were united in cheering on some of our Nation's most elite athletes as they competed at the 22nd Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I commend all of our athletes for their exemplary performance and thank the coaches, the team leaders and the U.S. Olympic staff. With such a talented group of people working together, it is no surprise that the United States won a record breaking 37 medals. Americans watched with an extraordinary sense of pride as our flag was raised and our anthem played, and our fellow countrymen and women competed and won on an international stage. I am especially proud of the seven Alaskans that contributed their talent to their country and competed at these Winter Olympics.

Holly Brooks, the coach turned athlete, participated in her first ever Winter Olympics this year. Holly quickly became a beloved member of the Alaskan community after moving there from Seattle. Her work as a coach at Alaska Pacific University and subsequent Olympic success has been an inspiration to many of Alaska's young skiers. I know that Holly received an outpouring of support during her run up to qualifying for the Olympics from many of her fellow athletes and Alaskans led by her husband who made hundreds of ``Go Holly'' stickers for her supporters to wear. I wish Holly luck in her further competitions and hope that she will continue to be a great role model for the young people of Alaska.

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof is the first Alaska Native to be selected to the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Team and the first to make an Olympic Team. Growing up in a small rural village on the coast of the Bering Sea, Callan learned to board on the mountains surrounding her home. In 2006, at age 17, she earned a position on the U.S. snowboard team and a bronze medal in her first World Cup Boardercross in Japan. She also received a bronze medal at the start of the 2009 season in the South America Continental Cup. Callan continues to quickly excel and is currently ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 14 in the world in Ladies' Boardercross. I hope she continues to compete for many years to come and hopefully we will see her in 2014 in Sochi.

Jay Hakkinen is a familiar name in Alaska where he has been a professional biathlete for over 13 years and just finished his fourth Winter Olympics. Jay is one of the most accomplished U.S. biathletes in Olympic history and his 10th-place finish in the 20 Kilometer Individual at the 2006 Torino Games previously served as the benchmark for the U.S. in an individual event. Jay has shown his perseverance and persistence throughout his illustrious career as a biathlete. I know this is not the last we have heard of Jay and wish him luck as he finishes out the World Cup season.

Jeremy Teela surpassed Jay's benchmark this Olympic Games with his 9th place finish in the Men's 10 Kilometer Sprint. The 34-year-old biathlete from Anchorage is a three-time consecutive Olympian. However, his service to his country goes beyond his athletic talent as Jeremy is a sergeant in the U.S. Army National Guard. As one of five soldier athletes competing in the Olympics, Jeremy and his other servicemembers remind us of the sacrifices that many young Americans have made in service to their country. Jeremy previously earned the bronze medal in the Men's 20 Kilometer in last year's World Cup and I hope he has similar success this year.

Kikkan Randal, the 27-year-old cross country skier from Anchorage, competed in her third consecutive Winter Olympic Games where she had her best-ever finish in the Women's 30 Kilometer Classic--finishing 24th. A former resident of Salt Lake City, UT, she moved at an early age to Anchorage with her family. She is also the niece of former Olympic cross country-skiers, Betsy Haines and Chris Haines, and in 2007 she became the first American woman to ever win a cross-country World Cup Title.

During his second consecutive Winter Olympic Games, James Southam competed in three events, including the 50 Kilometer Classic where he achieved a personal best finishing in 28th place. James was born and raised in Anchorage and participates in training along with Holly Brooks and Kikkan Randall at the Alaska Pacific University Ski Center. The APU Ski Center was a vital source of support for these Olympic athletes and kept many Alaskans informed of their progress through their facebook page. James, Holly, and Kikkan are a tremendous inspiration for the other skiers at APU and I look forward to hearing of more of their successes over the years.

Our Olympic Silver medalist Kerry Weiland, from Palmer, is a fierce defender on the ice. Her intensity has earned her the nickname Kamikaze Kerry, because she has the ability to take out two players with one hit. Not only did Kerry's defense help lead the U.S. to a Silver medal, but the U.S. Women's Hockey team outscored their opponents 40-2 leading up to the gold-medal game. Kerry is also a dominant force on the U.S. National Team where she was a member of the 2008 Gold Medal World Championship team. She is also the founder and instructor of the Weiland Hockey Development in Ontario where she teaches young women the fundamentals of hockey, inspiring a new generation of female athletes.

I want to thank again all the U.S. Olympic athletes for all of their hard work and dedication. It is difficult to comprehend the high degree of training and commitment required to compete in the Olympic Games and we have watched in awe as they have inspired us with their achievements. As Alaskans, we are exceptionally proud of these individuals. We regard our athletes as role models in many ways, and the sportsmanship that all our American Olympians displayed during these games exemplified some of our Nation's most important values. Our athletes were humble in victory and gracious in defeat, and made all Americans proud. I thank these individuals for being such great ambassadors for Alaska and for America.

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