Controversial swimmer Ryan Lochte along with teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen were banned from the ceremony

Obama attempted to do the splits with gold medal-winning Biles and her


President Barack Obama has welcomed the US Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House to celebrate their record-breaking run in Rio - but controversial swimmer Ryan Lochte was banned from making the trip.

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 joked at the start of his remarks, referring to gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles.

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President Barack Obama attempts to do the splits with the gold medal winning Women's Gymnastics Team during a visit to the White House on Thursday

First Lady Michelle Obama rests her elbow on Simone Biles' head during President Obama's speech at the White House on Thursday

'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.

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 welcomed the US Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House to celebrate their record-breaking run in Rio

Guess where we are? Laurie Hernandez, Simone Biles, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman pose up in the White House

Stretch it out: Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, Simone Biles and Madison Kocian play up for the cameras during their recent visit to the White House

Playtime: Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, Simone Biles and Madison Kocian play with First Family dogs Bo and Sunny (left) while Laurie acts up with a bust of 16th President, Abraham Lincoln

First Lady approves: Members of the Final Five throw fruit around the Michelle Obama in the White House

Pride: President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden pose up for a photograph with members of the Final Five at the White House

Dance: Laurie Hernandez gives her best performance for official White House photographer Pete Souza while other members of the US gymnastic's team look on

With the presidential dog: Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez posted this picture story to Snapchat of them with the Obama's dog, Bo

President Obama stands on stage with Paralympic soccer player Josh Brunais during the event in the East Room of the White House

Vice President Joe Biden listens as President Barack Obama delivers remarks to members of the 2016 United States Summer Olympic and Paralympic Teams

Simone Biles (pictured with Michelle Obama) and other Olympic athletes were celebrated for their incredible performance at the White House on Thursday

President Obama punches the air during his speech at the White House on Thursday, as paralympian Josh Brunais and Vice President Joe Biden watch on

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.

Michelle Obama tweeted this picture of President Obama with the gold medal winning gymnastics team, along with the caption: 'He is a perfect 10 in our book'

Olympic legend John Carlos (pictured) was also at the ceremony on Thursday, and stood up to greet President Obama

Barack Obama leans down to hug Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House

President Barack Obama with Vice President Joe Biden and Paralympic closing ceremony flag bearer and Army veteran Josh Brunais

The President shares a laugh on stage with the First Lady, Simone Biles, and Josh Brunais at the White House

Gold medal winning gymnasts Aly Raisman (right) and Laurie Hernandez (left) talk to fellow Olympians before the start of a ceremony in the East Room of the White House

Members of the 2016 United States Summer Olympic and Paralympic Teams sit on the carpet in the East Room of the White House

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.'

Swimming star Katie Ledecky looks at the camera ahead of the White House ceremony to celebrate the US' performance in Rio

All smiles: Katie Ledecky (left) showed off her medals at the White House while paralympic champion shot putter Emily Frederick was also on hand to support student aid

Members of the US Olympic team crowd the East Room of the White House and hold up their smartphones to take pictures of President Obama

Memorable day: Paralympians Elizabeth Smith, Brad Snyder and his faithful seeing-eye dog Gizzy all enjoyed their day with President Obama, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden, (right)

Iconic Olympian Tommie Smith speaks with two 2016 Olympians at the White House on Thursday

Ryan Boyle, a cyclist on the US Paralympic team, holds up his medal up in the air on Thursday

President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House during a ceremony where he honored members of the 2016 United States Summer Olympic and Paralympic Teams

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.

Lochte was noticeably absent from the event, and instead spent his time shooting a commercial for a new sponsor.

Lochte, who was ditched by a number of his major corporate backers after his scandal in Rio, was in Los Angeles working with Pine Bros. cough drops, TMZ reports.

Runner Allyson Felix, BMX rider Connor Fields, swimmer Katie Ledecky, Paralympic Swimmer and Navy veteran Brad Snyder, and Paralympic wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden (left-to-right) speak to reporters outside the White House

Members of US Paralympics team arrive to be greeted by President Barack Obama at the White House

The Olympics teams gathered in the White House on Thursday (pictured), but swimmer Ryan Lochte was not in attendance

Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Simone Biles pose for a picture on stage during the President's speech on Thursday in the East Room

Champion gymnast Simone Biles chats to other member of the US Olympic team at the White House on Thursday

Lochte (pictured on Dancing With the Stars) was reportedly banned from the event by the USOC

The website had earlier reported Lochte, along with teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen, were all banned by the US Olympic Committee from attending the ceremony because of their actions in Rio.

Lochte was caught out sensationally lying about being robbed at gunpoint after a night out with his three teammates at the Games.

In reality, he and three fellow swimmers spent the early hours of Sunday morning vandalizing a gas station and urinating on the walls outside.