Olympic legends Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Michael Johnson wish athletes luck in Rio

HOUSTON – The Road To Rio ran through Houston Wednesday, just days before opening ceremonies for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Wednesday evening's festivities included a star-studded reception for Team USA, featuring Olympic legends Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Michael Johnson.

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"It's going to be a fantastic show," said Johnson. "It always is."

"It's a great way to kind of give back and partner up with the athletes and actually do something for them," George Bauernfeind, of BP America, said.

With 10 Olympic medals between Joyner-Kersee and Johnson, this year's team brings back fond memories.

Watching the athletes compete in the trials leading up to the games, they have their eyes set on every event.

They also have some advice for those making the team for the first time.

"You have to focus on why you're there, and you worked so hard for this," Joyner-Kersee said. "Some of us might have an opportunity to make it a second time around, but some of them, it might be their only time to make an Olympic team."

"In order to have gotten to this point you must have been doing something right, so don't abandon that," added Johnson. "Keep doing the things that you've been doing."

Both Joyner-Kersee and Johnson will be in Rio.

They discussed the potential distractions in Rio, with the talk of Zika virus, rising crime and political unrest.

But they say the Olympic Committee members will do all they can to help the athletes stay focused on just competing.


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