BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) celebrates Vermont’s Team USA Olympians—Billy Bender, Ilona Maher, and Elle Purrier St. Pierre—as the 2024 Summer Olympic Games conclude and our Olympians return home. Bender, Maher, and St. Pierre competed in the summer Olympic Games, which were held over two weeks in Paris, France. The Paralympic Games will begin August 28, 2024, and conclude September 8, 2024.
“Congratulations to Billy, Ilona, and Elle for their impressive achievements leading up to, and at, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Our Olympians made our state very proud and showcased their Vermont Values for the entire world. Through years of training and the support of their communities, families and teams, they competed with grit, determination, and joy from the Green Mountains of Vermont to the City of Light,” said Senator Welch. “It was wonderful to cheer on Team USA throughout the competition’s many thrilling moments– including the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team winning their first-ever medal with the help of Ilona Maher. Congratulations again to Billy, Ilona, and Elle for inspiring the next generation of Vermont Olympians, and showing the world what’s possible with hard work and dedication.”
The United States earned 126 total medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the most of any country. Vermont’s Team USA qualified athletes that competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games include:
William “Billy” Bender
Hometown: Norwich, Vermont
Rowing
4th Place, Men’s Coxless Pair
Ilona Maher
Hometown: Burlington, Vermont
Rugby
Bronze medal
Elle Purrier St. Pierre
Hometown: Montgomery, Vermont
Track and Field – 8th Place, 1500 meters
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