Obama celebrates 2016 Olympic athletes at White House

2016 Olympic individual all-around gymnast Simone Arianne Biles speaks between US President Barack Obama (L) and Vice President Joe Biden to welcome US Olympic and Paralympics teams at the White House in Washington, US, September 29, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Women especially dominated the games this year, he said.

"2016 belonged to America's women Olympians," Obama said. "Our women alone won more gold than most countries did."

Obama also paid tribute during the reception to former Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who were invited to attend the ceremony by the US Olympic Committee. The two African-American athletes were sent home from the 1968 Olympic Games for their raised-fist protest on the medals podium.

"Their powerful silent protest in the 1968 Games was controversial, but it woke folks up and created greater opportunity for those that followed," Obama said.

The actions of Smith and Carlos have garnered more attention in recent weeks as African-American National Football League and college players have faced a backlash for protesting racial injustice during games.

Obama attributed part of the success of the US Olympic team to its diversity.

"That's one of the most extraordinary things about our Olympic team," he said. "There's no kid in America who can't look at our Olympic team and see themselves somewhere."

After his remarks, Biles and Brunais presented Obama with two surf boards signed by Olympians to commemorate the addition of surfing to the 2020 summer Olympics.