AP

Vonn urges athletes use platform for good ‘especially today’

Jun 24, 2022, 8:12 AM | Updated: 9:01 pm

In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Lindsey Vonn arrives for the U.S. O...

In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Lindsey Vonn arrives for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)

(Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)


              In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Michael Phelps attends the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)
            
              In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Mia Hamm arrives for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)
            
              In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committe, Natalie Coughlin arrives for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)
            
              In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Michelle Kwan arrives for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)
            
              In a photo provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Lindsey Vonn arrives for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (Mark Reis/U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee via AP)

Lindsey Vonn used her induction speech into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame on Friday to urge athletes to put their platform to good use, “especially today,” the day the Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling that guaranteed a women’s constitutional right to abortion.

Vonn joined Michael Phelps, Billie Jean King, Michelle Kwan, Mia Hamm and the late Pat Summitt among the inductees into the Class of 2022.

Vonn gave a special nod to her mother, Linda Krohn, who is battling ALS.

She closed with a message to fellow athletes, urging them to keep the Olympic spirit alive by “using your world, your platform, for good.”

“These amazing people before me and many others have proven that great things can be achieved in ways that reach far beyond medals,” Vonn said. “And in the world we live in now, especially today, it’s so incredibly important.”

King, at the forefront in the fight for women’s advances in sports, was the first woman inducted in the “special contributor” category. She said it felt only appropriate that her honor came during the same week as the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

“To be the first woman to be inducted in a special contributor category is a true honor and reflective of my lifelong goals: To make sure what I did off the court had more impact than what I did on it,” she said.

The evening included several references to Title IX.

Inductee Natalie Coughlin said that had it not been for the landmark bill, her swimming career would’ve ended in 2000, before she became a multi-time NCAA champion and four years before she won the first of her 12 Olympic medals.

Also inducted at the ceremony at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs were Roger Kingdom (track), Muffy Davis (Para Alpine skiing and cycling), David Kiley (Para Alpine skiing, track and field and wheelchair basketball), Trischa Zorn-Hudson (Para swimming) and Gretchen Fraser (skiing).

The 1976 women’s 4×100 freestyle relay swimming team, anchored by Shirley Babashoff in its stunning upset over the East Germans, and the 2002 men’s Paralympic sled hockey team also were inducted after being voted into the hall by a mix of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, media and administrators and fans.

Led by a record-setting 28 medals and 23 golds won by Phelps, this year’s class has captured a total of 129 medals, including 86 gold.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Vonn urges athletes use platform for good ‘especially today’