WASHINGTON (WOWO) — The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed legislation to honor the 1980 Olympic Men’s Hockey Team, whose upset victory over the Soviet Union became known as the “Miracle on Ice.”
The Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act will commemorate the 45th anniversary of the game by awarding three Congressional Gold Medals. The medals will be displayed at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Minnesota, and the Lake Placid Olympic Center in New York.
The U.S. team, made up largely of amateur collegiate players, stunned the four-time defending champion Soviet squad in the semifinals before going on to win the gold medal at the Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. The victory has been remembered as one of the most iconic moments in American sports history.
“The Miracle on Ice hockey team embodied the very best of America’s spirit — perseverance, unity, and determination in the face of great odds,” Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., a co-sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. “I’m proud to support awarding the 1980 Olympic team the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their lasting impact on our nation.”
More than 70 senators co-sponsored the bipartisan measure.
