WHEREAS, The Olympic Games regularly offer athletes an unparalleled opportunity to display their skills and sportsmanship; and
     WHEREAS, Washington was represented in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, by more than a dozen participants with strong ties to the Evergreen State; and
     WHEREAS, J.R. Celski, raised in Federal Way, won a silver medal in the men's 5,000-meter speedskating relay to go with two bronze medals from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada; and
     WHEREAS, T.J. Oshie, who was born in Mount Vernon and spent most of his childhood in Snohomish County, led the U.S. men's ice hockey team to a dramatic 3-2 victory over host nation Russia by scoring on 4 of 6 attempts in an overtime shootout, including the goal that ended what was called the "Marathon on Ice"; and
     WHEREAS, Ashley Wagner, whose regular visits to her grandparents' home in Seabeck led her to consider it as her home too, captured a bronze medal in the women's team figure skating competition; and
     WHEREAS, Patrick Deneen of Cle Elum, a World Cup medalist in freestyle skiing, placed sixth in his sport at Sochi, significantly bettering his mark in the same event at the 2010 games; and
     WHEREAS, Torin Koos, who grew up in Leavenworth and remains affiliated with the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club, appeared in his fourth Winter Olympics as a cross-country skiing sprinter and wrote that if he is not skiing he would like to broker Washington state pears to markets worldwide; and
     WHEREAS, Erik Bjornsen of Winthrop, a four-time U.S. national medalist, competed in four cross-country skiing events during his first Olympics, his top finish being sixth place in the men's team sprint classic; and
     WHEREAS, Sadie Bjornsen, also raised in Winthrop and a World Cup medalist in cross-country skiing, competed in three events during her first Olympics and helped the women's cross-country relay team achieve its best-ever Olympic finish; and
     WHEREAS, Brian Gregg, born in Winthrop, also competed for the U.S. as a cross-country skier in the men's 30-kilometer skiathlon, the men's 15-kilometer classic, and the men's 50-kilometer freestyle; and
     WHEREAS, Holly Brooks, who grew up in Seattle and is a World Cup medalist and U.S. champion in cross-country skiing, competed in her second consecutive Winter Olympics, this time in three events including the women's 30-kilometer mass start; and
     WHEREAS, Christian Niccum of Woodinville, a two-time U.S. champion in doubles luge, was the oldest member of the U.S. Olympics luge team, competing in his third consecutive Winter Olympics, finishing 11th in men's doubles luge, and helping the American luge team place sixth in the team relay; and
     WHEREAS, Angeli VanLaanen, who was born and raised in Bellingham, and who won a World Cup gold medal in freestyle skiing in 2009 before having her career interrupted for three years by Lyme disease, which is now in remission, placed 11th in the halfpipe competition; and
     WHEREAS, Vic Wild, who was born in White Salmon and also has ties to Yakima, collected two gold medals in Alpine snowboarding for Russia, which became his home country after he married a champion Russian snowboarder; and
     WHEREAS, Roberto Carcelen, a Seattle business owner who in 2010 became the first Peruvian to compete in the Winter Olympics, again represented Peru in cross-country skiing and finished the 15-kilometer classic, despite having broken a rib while training;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize each of these dedicated athletes for their perseverance and performances at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.