UPDATE: Olympians Part of Proposed Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame

(UPDATED 10:30 a.m. Tuesday) SILVER SPRING, MD — Hundreds of residents who cheered along with every swimming stroke for queen of the pool Katie Ledecky and other U.S. Olympic athletes from Montgomery County turned out Monday to congratulate them in person for their hard work. Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett honored Montgomery County’s 2016 Team USA Olympians at a public event at Monday, Dec. 19, at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Joining Leggett were Montgomery County Olympians Jack Conger, Katie Ledecky and Ashley Nee. Trailblazing wrestler Helen Maroulis was unable to attend the ceremony.

Conger, who was caught up in controversy when teammate Ryan Lochte said the men had been robbed in Rio, made his first comments since the Olympics. The training opportunities he had growing up in the area were endless, he said, as he thanks his parents and coach for their part in his "daily grind" of training, reports Montgomery Community Media.

“Going to Rio really made me realize how badly I want to go to Tokyo (in 2020)," Conger said. "I [want] to thank everyone in Montgomery County for always supporting me and helping me achieve my dreams.”

Ledecky, who wore one of her gold medals at the event, said “It’s extremely meaningful when we see those messages from back home and hear those stories when we get back of where you guys were watching our races or how you were supporting us, so I really have to thank you all.”

During the event officials said Ledecky and Maroulis will be inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame. All four local Olympians will become part of a proposed Montgomery County sports hall of fame, said Gabe Albornoz, director of the county’s recreation department.

• Jack Conger from Rockville competed in the 4x200m freestyle swimming event. Conger graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in 2013. Conger earned a gold medal for the Men’s 4 X 200m Freestyle Relay Swim.
• Katie Ledecky from Bethesda, also a gold medalist from the 2012 Olympics, competed in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle. Ledecky graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in 2015. Ledecky earned a silver and four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics.

• Ashley Nee from Darnestown competed in the Canoe Slalom. Nee graduated from Northwest High School.
• Helen Maroulis, a wrestler who competed in the Freestyle 53 kg, earned a gold medal. Maroulis attended Col. Zadok Magruder High School.

»SEE ALSO:

• Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky Looks Ahead to Stanford, Getting Driver's License (VIDEO)
• Rockville's Jack Conger, 3 Other Team USA Swimmers Robbed at Gunpoint in Rio: USOC
• U.S. Olympic Swimmers Lied About ‘Robbery’ to Cover Up Late Night Out: Brazilian Police

Image courtesy of Montgomery Community Media