SHAHEEN: OLYMPIC MARATHONER GUOR MARIAL REPRESENTS THE VERY BEST OF OLYMPIC SPIRIT

Senator Jeanne Shaheen spoke on the Senate floor today to honor Olympic athlete Guor Marial, a refugee who escaped from Sudan only a decade ago and will now be competing in the marathon in London. Guor, who found asylum in New Hampshire after his escape, initially believed that he would be unable to compete because he is not a full American citizen and his home country of South Sudan does not have an Olympic team. He refused to compete under the flag of Sudan, a country where many of his family members had been tortured or killed. Upon learning of Marial's situation, Shaheen sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee urging them to approve his request to compete as an independent athlete running under the Olympic flag. His request was granted last week.