RIO DE JANEIRO — Secretary of State John Kerry dropped by a U.S. Olympic training facility Friday to wish the athletes well and explain to them the importance of sports diplomacy.
From President Nixon sending a pingpong team to China in the 1970s to more recent trips by American baseball players to Cuba, Kerry said their informal connections helped pave the way for better ties among those countries.
"Not only are we expecting all of you breaking some records, but we want you to contribute in the great American tradition of the spirit of competition and the values of our country," he told several dozen athletes training at Brazil's Naval Academy.