Vidmar named US Olympic team's 2012 chef de mission

April 29, 2011 - PRLog -- The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) also announced Aimee Mullins, the 1996 Paralympian who broke world records at 100m, 200m and the long jump, would fulfill the same function at the Paralympics.

"Peter and Aimee are both natural leaders and accomplished athletes," said the USOC chairman, Larry Probst.

"Team USA will be well-served by these two extraordinary individuals, and on behalf of the USOC, I'd like to thank them for taking on this responsibility."

"I am extremely honored to be appointed US Chef de Mission for the 2012 Olympic Games," 49-year-old Vidmar said. "This role allows me to work with the USOC and National Governing Bodies to ensure that all Team USA athletes have the support they need to achieve their full potential at the Games.”

Vidmar and Mullins will be among the very few non-competitors who will get to march into the stadium with the U.S. athletes at the Opening Ceremony, held on July 27, 2012 in London.

"I remember that experience vividly,'' Vidmar said.” When I marched into the stadium in L.A., that's the moment I truly realized I was an Olympian. I had been so busy preparing and trying to be the best athlete I could be that when I marched in and saw the crowd, it hit me that everything I trained for had come to fruition.''

At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Vidmar helped the US men's gymnastics team win the team gold medal and won a second gold medal on the pommel horse with a perfect 10.0 score.

Vidmar was the first US man to medal in the all-around at the Olympic Games, claiming silver.

Currently, Vidmar is chairman of the board of directors for USA Gymnastics, which he has held since 2008.  

Vidmar  has worked as a journalist at several Summer Olympic Games, including the 2008 Games in Beijing, and as a gymnastics television commentator for both ESPN and CBS.

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About Peter Vidmar: Since leading the 1984 US Men's Gymnastics Team to its first-ever Olympic Gold Medal, Peter Vidmar has been helping people realize their own potential. Vidmar is a professional speaker who has given more than 1,000 presentations on risk-taking, innovation and quality to corporations and associations throughout the United States. He is based in California.