Biden says Olympians brought a bit of unity to weary nation

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden praised Team USA for bringing a bit of unity to a pandemic weary nation as he hosted a White House celebration Wednesday with about 600 athletes from this year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing and the coronavirus-delayed Summer Games held in 2021 in Tokyo. Among the athletes at the South Lawn ceremony were swimmer and seven-time gold medalist Katie Ledecky, celebrated bobsledder Elena Meyers Taylor and ice dancer Zachary Donahue, as well as competitors from the past two Paralympic Games. Biden suggested that as equally impressive as the athletes’ performances was their ability to unite Americans during a period marked by the unrelenting coronavirus pandemic and deepening partisanship after the 2020 election.