Statement by the President Congratulating Members of the United States Olympic Team.

MY warmest congratulations go out to the members of the 1968 United States Olympic Team. America is in your debt.

In victory--and in defeat--you brought new honor to our country. For thousands of your fellow citizens who were there, and for the millions of us who viewed your exploits on television, the Mexico City Olympics reawakened our national pride and renewed our faith in the future.

Your countrymen deeply appreciate the sacrifices you made to win such a prestigious place in this greatest of all sports events. Thanks to you, the world was witness once again to the vitality, vigor, and fair play which mark the American character. And men and women everywhere were firsthand viewers of a nation alive with the ideals and aspirations that have since birth been the staff of its greatness.