Bringing Olympic values to DCs next generation

Bringing Olympic values to DCs next generation

December 12, 2014, The Washington Post

Covington's Paul Tagliabue authored this article on the possibility of Washington, D.C. being the venue for summer Olympics 2024:

Politicians in Washington may struggle to find common ground, but if one force binds the rest of us in the nation’s capital, it is sports. We Washingtonians are passionate about our teams and appreciate sports for its diversity and commitment to excellence. 

The headlines may focus on Washington’s partisan battles, but our communities embody the best of sport and its impact on society. We have built arenas that have revitalized our neighborhoods. We have a long-standing commitment to youth programs, which help accelerate children’s educational achievements and produce many exceptional homegrown athletes. 

Our region has produced extraordinary sports leaders and barrier-breakers. At Georgetown University, where I am chairman of the board of directors, we are proud of our D.C. native and legendary men’s basketball coach, John Thompson Jr., who participated in several Olympic competitions as a coach. We are proud of Olympians who developed and excelled in this region, including Georgetown’s basketball standout Alonzo Mourning, a gold medalist in 2000, and Katie Ledecky, a world-record-holder in swimming and a gold medalist in London’s 2012 Olympics. Maryland’s Jessica Long won multiple gold medals in swimming in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Beijing and London and was honored as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2006 Paralympian of the Year. Our region is a hotbed of Olympic swimming talent. 

Whether it is a sporting event or a presidential inauguration, the District loves playing the excited and masterful host. I can think of no region more suitable or prepared to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 than the District.