Allstate to Unveil U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Tribute at Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

World-renowned artist Tracy Lee Stum, Allstate team up to bring U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame to life with living 3D exhibit at USA House

To view the official Allstate invitation, click here

VANCOUVER, BC - The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate serves to protect the legacies of its inductees and their moments of glory frozen in time.  At the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Allstate and world-renowned mural artist Tracy Lee Stum plan to bring those moments back to life with a 17-day long living art exhibit honoring the U.S. Olympians who brought Americans these snapshots of greatness.

To demonstrate its support of Team USA, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the Olympic Movement, Allstate Insurance Company (NYSE: ALL) is unveiling a three-dimensional portrait celebrating the accomplishments of the winter Olympians in the Hall of Fame.  The Allstate Hall of Fame Tribute will be a living art exhibit at the USA House throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and will feature life-sized images of every winter Olympian who has been inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate since its inception.

Photo: Allstate

The Allstate Hall of Fame Tribute will come to life throughout the Games on the walls within the USA House and celebrate past performances of U.S. winter Olympic Hall of Fame members.  The exhibit, to be created entirely with chalk, will be designed by Stum, and many of the athletes featured within it will be on hand to see their image unveiled.

"The Allstate Hall of Fame Tribute will capture the grace, elegance, strength and sportsmanship of the Olympic Movement," said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing at Allstate.  "In the spirit of protecting the legacies of the winter Olympian U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame members, this exhibit will showcase Allstate's continued support of the hopes, dreams and accomplishments associated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams."

Allstate will first unveil the Hall of Fame Tribute at the USA House Feb. 11, prior to the first day of competition and Opening Ceremony in Vancouver.  Throughout the more than two weeks that follow, USA House visitors will be able to watch Stum bring the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate to life during certain times of the day.  In all, 15 Olympians, two Paralympians and two teams will be featured on the Hall of Fame Tribute.

Photo: Allstate

In an effort to highlight the achievements of current U.S. winter Olympians and their respective sports, Allstate has partnered with several U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame members to help unveil their image at the USA House, and provide commentary about the Vancouver Games.  Members who will be present for their image unveils are Bonnie Blair (speedskating), Jim Craig (ice hockey), Peggy Fleming (figure skating), Scott Hamilton (figure skating), Dan Jansen (speedskating) and Picabo Street (alpine skiing).

For more information on the Allstate U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Tribute, please visit teamusa.org.

About the Hall of Fame members who have partnered with Allstate

Bonnie Blair, Speedskating
A U.S. record holder, Bonnie Blair, won a record five individual gold medals over three Olympic Games.  Blair won an unprecedented three straight Olympic gold medals in the 500 meters (1988, 1992, 1994).  She was also the first woman to break the 39-second mark in the 500 meters.  In 2004, she was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate.  As of her induction, Blair was and remains the most decorated U.S. winter Olympian of all time. 

She retired in 1995 on her 31^st birthday as the reigning world sprint champion, breaking her own seven-year-old American record in her final race.  Since retiring from skating, Blair works as a motivational speaker, corporate spokesperson, and wrote a book about her accomplishments in 1996 titled A Winning Edge.  Blair remains connected to speed skating by serving on the Board of Directors for U.S. Speedskating and the Pettit National Ice Center.

Jim Craig, 1980 Men's Hockey Team
Jim Craig is most notable for being the goaltender for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the Olympic gold medal at the Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games.  Craig had a standout Olympic tournament.  In the Olympic semifinal game against the heavily favored Soviet Union, Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots on goal as the U.S. beat the Soviets, 4-3, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Two days later, the U.S. defeated Finland, 4-2, in the Olympic final and captured Olympic gold.

Craig went on to play professionally in the National Hockey League, where he started for the Atlanta Flames, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Stars between 1980 and 1983.  In 1983, the 1980 men's hockey team was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate.

Peggy Fleming, Figure Skating
Peggy Fleming, a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate, was the darling of the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France.  In the women's figure skating competition, she won the only U.S. gold medal of those Games and captivated the hearts of America. 

A five-time U.S. champion, Fleming is a breast cancer survivor.  Since her diagnosis, Fleming has been a tireless champion for health-related causes.  Fleming and her husband, Dr. Greg Jenkins, also started a small vineyard and donate all of the proceeds to support breast cancer research. 

Scott Hamilton, Figure Skating
An Olympic gold medalist, Scott Hamilton won every U.S. National Championship and every World Championship from 1981 through 1984. The highlight of his amateur figure skating career was when he won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Winter Games.  He was the first American male figure skater to win a medal in skating since 1960.

After turning professional in 1984, Hamilton toured with Ice Capades for two years, and then created "Scott Hamilton's American Tour," which later was renamed Stars on Ice. He co-founded, co-produced and performed in Stars on Ice for 15 years before retiring from the tour in 2001.  During the last 10 years, Hamilton has inspired audiences at numerous events throughout the country, speaking to a wide variety of groups and organizations about his life and overcoming adversity. He is also a supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and participates in many of their events.

Dan Jansen, Speedskating
Former speedskater Dan Jansen is best known for winning a gold medal in his final Olympic race after suffering through years of heartbreak.  After competing in three Olympic Winter Games, Jansen finally won his elusive gold medal in his final event (1000m) at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. He set a World Record in the same 1000m race.

Over the course of his career, Jansen was an eight-time World Record holder, won the overall World Cup title seven times, and was a 20-time World Championship medalist.  He was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.  Today, Jansen is a speedskating commentator for NBC and a motivational speaker.  He also founded the Dan Jansen Foundation, which contributes to youth sports programs and leukemia research.

Picabo Street, Alpine Skiing
A three-time Olympian, Picabo Street first joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1989 and earned a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in ­the downhill. The Sun Valley, Idaho, native left her mark in Olympic history in 1998, taking gold in the Nagano super G by a mere hundredth of a second.

Street medaled in three World Championships, earning combined silver in 1993, and super G bronze and downhill gold in 1996. Winning six of nine World Cup competitions in 1995, Street became the first American to win a World Cup season title in a speed event. After a leg injury and two years of rehabilitation, Street returned to compete in 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City before retiring. With nine career victories, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2005.

About the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
The charter class of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was enshrined in 1983, with such Olympic legends as Cassius Clay, Peggy Fleming, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, and the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team. Annual additions continued through 1992, adding Olympic legends such as Bart Conner, Dorothy Hamill, "Sugar Ray" Leonard, Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, and Mary Lou Retton.

In becoming the presenting sponsor of the induction ceremony, Allstate sparked the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame's revitalization in 2004. During the company's six-year tenure as a partner, the Hall of Fame has inducted numerous decorated Olympic athletes including: Bonnie Blair, Janet Evans, Florence Griffith Joyner, Dan Jansen, Kristi Yamaguchi, and the 1996 "Magnificent Seven" U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team.  Following the induction of the Class of 2009 last August, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame currently consists of 234 individuals (including all team members) - 88 Olympians, four Paralympians, nine teams (115 team members), three coaches, nine veterans, and 15 special contributors.

About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate^®.

About the USOC
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. In addition to being the steward of the U.S. Olympic Movement, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.

Tags: Allstate, Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen, Jim Craig, Peggy Fleming, Picabo Street, Scott Hamilton, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, USOC, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games