US President Barack Obama has congratulated the Seattle Seahawks for their emphatic victory in Sunday's Super Bowl.
The Seahawks produced one of the best defensive displays in Super Bowl history as they crushed the record-breaking offence of the Denver Broncos on the way to a 43-8 victory.
That scoreline was some way from the 24-21 result that Obama had predicted before the match, although he refused to say which side he thought would win in order to avoid offending either city.
The White House confirmed that Obama had spoken with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Tuesday to applaud his team's achievement as they won the Vince Lombardi trophy for the first time in their history.
The victorious team are expected to make a trip to the White House later this year following their triumph, and Obama also said that he is looking forward to congratulating them in person.
The Seahawks finished the season with a 16-3 record including playoffs in Carroll's fourth year as head coach.
Barney Corkhill
