Obama celebrates 2016 Olympic athletes at White House

US President Barack Obama (C), First Lady Michelle Obama (1st, L), Vice President Joe Biden (1st, R), Olympic gymnast Simone Biles (2nd, L) and Paralympic athlete Josh Brunais attend a ceremony honoring members of the 2016 US Olympic and Paralympic Teams in the East Room of White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Sept 29, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Barack Obama welcomed the 2016 US Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House on Thursday to celebrate their record-breaking run in Rio.

Hundreds of Olympic athletes clad in red Nike track jackets squeezed into the East Room of the White House as rainy weather forced the reception indoors.

"I was going to do a floor routine on the way out with Simone, but we decided it was a little too crowded," Obama quipped at the start of his remarks, referring to gold medal- winning gymnast Simone Biles.

"And you can't touch your toes," joked first lady Michelle Obama, who stood with the president at the podium, along with Biles, Vice President Joe Biden and Paralympic soccer player Josh Brunais.

President Obama praised Team USA for winning 46 gold medals and for making the United States the first country in 40 years to top the medal chart in every category.