Dr. Orr selected to serve Olympians

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe doctor Terry Orr is returning to the Winter Olympics.

The United States Olympic Committee announced on Friday that Orr is part of the 47-member medical staff that will support the 200 plus U.S. athletes at the Olympic Winter Games in February in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.

Orr's upcoming Olympic assignment is to serve as team physician for the U.S. Men's Alpine Ski Team.

Headed by USOC Chief Medical Officer James Moeller, MD of Troy, Mich., the U.S. medical staff consists of some of the United States' premiere physicians, certified athletic trainers, chiropractors and massage therapists.

"The USOC has put together a great health care team for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team," Moeller said. "The health of our athletes will be in the hands of some of the best doctors, chiropractors, trainers, physical and massage therapists available in the sports medicine field, and I'm looking forward to working with this team behind the Team."

Orr has been actively involved with the medical coverage of the U.S. Ski Team since 1988. He presently is the head team physician for the U.S. Men's Alpine Ski Team and served as the team's physician at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City as well as at the 2001 World Alpine Ski Championship.

Orr is a staff member at the Tahoe Fracture Clinic in South Lake Tahoe, where he specializes in arthroscopic surgery and ligament reconstruction surgery of the knee.

Primarily responsible for the overall health of the athletes, the U.S. medical staff will be in place at the Olympic Winter Games in sites at both Vancouver and Whistler to administer aid before and during competition, practice and in the Athlete Villages.

"We feel that our medical professionals for the U.S. Team are the best in the world in what they do," said USOC Chief of Sport Performance Mike English. "The athletes of this team have trained for years to be on this stage. Our medical staff has also trained for this moment and will support these athletes in Vancouver and Whistler."