| Pierre de Coubertin Medal | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Institutions with a pedagogical and educational role and to people who, through their research and the creation of intellectual works in the spirit of Pierre de Coubertin, contribute to the promotion of Olympism. |
| Presented by | International Olympic Committee (IOC) |
| First award | 1997 |
| Website | http://www.olympic.org/  |
ThePierre de Coubertin Medal is a specialdecoration awarded by theInternational Olympic Committee that "pays tribute to institutions with a pedagogical and educational role and to people who, through their research and the creation of intellectual works in the spirit ofPierre de Coubertin, contribute to the promotion of Olympism."[1] It was designed byAndré Ricard Sala, with one face featuring a portrait of Coubertin and the other showing the Olympic motto and rings.[1]
The medal is not the same award as thePierre de Coubertin World Trophy, which was inaugurated in 1965 and is awarded by theInternational Fair Play Committee,[2][3] although the two are often confused. For example, some news media reported on 22 August 2016 thatNikki Hamblin andAbbey D'Agostino had received the medal after colliding with each other on the track during the 5000 m event and assisting each other to continue the race.[4] The New Zealand Olympic Committee said that no such award had yet been made,[5] andThe Guardian later corrected their report confirming "the award was theInternational Fair Play Committee Award rather than the Pierre de Coubertin award".[4] It is also regularly mentioned that the first winner of the Pierre de Coubertin Medal was the Italian bobsledderEugenio Monti in1964, although in fact he became the first winner of the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy.Lawrence Lemieux didn't receive the medal either.[6]
A medal awarded since 1969 "for outstanding merits in the Olympic Movement" by theAustrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) called thePierre de Coubertin-Medaille,'Pierre de Coubertin Medal' has given rise to further confusion. The first recipients at a ceremony held on 23 June 1969 at theMuseum of the 20th Century in Vienna were Austrian PresidentFranz Jonas, IOC PresidentAvery Brundage, IOC memberManfred Mautner Markhof [de], the Minister of EducationTheodor Piffl-Perčević [arz;de;no;uk], the ÖOC PresidentHeinrich Drimmel [de], and the ÖOC Hon. Secretary-GeneralEdgar Fried [de].[7] Later recipients includeRudolf Sallinger [arz;de],[8]Pat Hickey,[9] andDieter Kalt Sr.[10]
| Recipient | Country | Accomplishment(s) | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Antonio Samaranch |  Spain | SeventhPresident of the International Olympic Committee | 6 September 1997[11][12] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Leon Štukelj |  Slovenia | — | 12 November 1999[a][13] | Maribor, Slovenia |
| Raymond Gafner |  Switzerland | — | 1999[14][15] | — |
| Rainier III, Prince of Monaco |  Monaco | — | 2000[16] | — |
| João Havelange |  Brazil | — | 2000[16] | — |
| Gianni Agnelli |  Italy | — | 2000[16] | — |
| Alain Danet [fr;pl] |  France | — | 2000[16] | — |
| Kurt Furgler | Switzerland | — | 2000[16] | — |
| Henry Kissinger |  United States | — | 2000[16] | — |
| Yoshiaki Tsutsumi |  Japan | — | 2000[16] | — |
| Emil Zátopek |  Czechoslovakia | 1952 Summer Olympics | 6 December 2000[a][16][17] | Prague,Czech Republic |
| Kéba Mbaye |  Senegal | — | 2001[16] | — |
| Rudolf Leising | Switzerland | — | 2001[16] | — |
| Wolf Lyberg [sv] |  Sweden | Sports journalist, "for his many contributions to the International Olympic Committee and to the Olympic Family" | July 2001 (awarded)[16][18] 22 November 2001 (presented)[19] | Moscow, Russia Stockholm, Sweden |
| Spencer Eccles[20] | United States | 2002 Winter Olympics | February 2002[citation needed] | Salt Lake City,United States |
| Frieder Roskam |  Germany | German architect, "for his groundbreaking work in sports facility construction" | 30 April 2002[21] | Cologne, Germany |
| Artur Takac [sh;sr][22][better source needed] | Switzerland[citation needed] | — | 2002[citation needed] | — |
| Conrado Durantez [es;gl] | Spain | — | 2002[23][better source needed][24] | — |
| Hilda Múdra |  Slovakia | — | 2002[25] | — |
| Cecilia Tait |  Peru | FirstPeruvian recipient, "in recognition of her contribution to the promotion of women in sport" | 21 March 2003[26][27] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Walburga Grimm [de][28] | Germany | — | 2003[citation needed] | — |
| Marino Ercolani Casadei |  San Marino | — | 2003[29] | — |
| Julio Ernesto Cassanello |  Argentina | President of theArgentine Olympic Committee 2005–09[30][better source needed][31] | 2003[citation needed] | — |
| Vanderlei de Lima | Brazil | In recognition of his exceptional demonstration of fair play and Olympic values during the2004 Summer Olympics | 29 August 2004[32] | Athens, Greece |
| Elena Belova |  Belarus | Presented at the 2007 XI International Scientific Congress | 17 May 2007[6][33] | Minsk, Belarus |
| Shaul Ladany |  Israel | For "unusual outstanding sports achievements during a span covering over four decades" | 17 May 2007[34] | Minsk, Belarus |
| Viktor Khotochkin |  Russia | First Vice-President, theRussian Olympic Committee (2002–2009), "for his outstanding contribution to the development of the International Olympic Movement" | 2007[35][36] | — |
| Viktor Mamatov | Russia | — | 2008[36][37] | — |
| Manfred Bergman[citation needed] | Israel | For services rendered to the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic cause | December 2008 | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Ronald Harvey |  Australia | Former CEO of theAustralian Sports Commission and Director of theAustralian Institute of Sport, first Australian recipient | 2 April 2009[38] | Australia |
| Emanuel Bosák | Czech Republic | — | May 2009[39] | Jičín, Czech Republic |
| Xia Geng [zh] |  China | Mayor of Qingdao [zh] 2003–2012,[40] "to thank Qingdao City for its efforts in the Olympic Movement" | 22 July 2009[41] | Qingdao, China |
| Boyan Radev |  Bulgaria | — | 15 September 2009[42] | — |
| Gagik Tsarukyan |  Armenia | President of theArmenian Olympic Committee, "for his invaluable contribution to the development of sport in Armenia" | 13 November 2010[43][44] | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Eric Monnin | France | Olympic education specialist | August 2012 (awarded)[45] 6 August 2013 (presented)[46] | — |
| Bob Nadin |  Canada | Veteranice hockey referee and referee supervisor, medal presented at the2013 IIHF World Championship | May 2013[47][48] | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Richard Garneau | Canada | French Canadian sports broadcaster, "for his lifetime dedication to Olympism" | 6 February 2014[a][49] | Sochi, Russia |
| Hermann Andrecs |  Austria | Co-founder and former president of the Austrian Olympic Academy, "for services to the Olympic Movement" | 10 September 2014[50] | Vienna, Austria |
| Michael Hwang |  Singapore | "Exceptional services to the Olympic Movement" | 13 October 2014[51] | Singapore |
| Geraint John |  United Kingdom | First British recipient for "many years of outstanding service to the Olympic Movement while bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to Olympic design"[52] | 28 November 2014[53] | London, England |
| Petros Synadinos |  Greece | Member of theHellenic Olympic Committee and President of the Hellenic Archery Federation, "for his multi-year and multifaceted contribution to the Olympics and sports" | 2016[54] | Athens, Greece |
| Eduard von Falz-Fein |  Liechtenstein | "Long service to the Olympic Movement" | 17 February 2017[55][56] | Vaduz, Liechtenstein |
| Lü Junjie | China | FirstZisha artist to be awarded, for "his work using Zisha to spread the Olympic spirit" | 15 January 2018[57] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Han Meilin | China | Designer of theFuwa, mascots of the2008 Summer Olympics | 24 April 2018[58] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Diego Pulido Aragón |  Guatemala | Guatemalan banker and funder "for believing that through sports, culture and education, we can build a better future for our country"[59] | 28 August 2018[60] | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Aldons Vrubļevskis |  Latvia | Former President of the Latvian NOC | 28 November 2020[61] | Sigulda, Latvia |
| André Leclercq [fr] | France | At the 70th anniversary of theFrench Pierre de Coubertin Committee [fr] | 5 November 2021[62] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Cui Jingzhe | China | Chinese artist, for "[his] efforts in spreading the Olympic spirit through art" | 11 January 2022[63] | Beijing, China |
| George Hirthler | United States | Author ofThe Idealist about Pierre de Coubertin | 23 June 2022[64] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Rolf Lukaschewski [de] | Germany | German-born contemporary artist for "[his] inspiring positive expression of channelling the vision of Coubertin through [his] extraordinary art" | 23 June 2022[65] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Kim Min-jae |  South Korea | Korean sports photographer, first Korean recipient | May 2018 (awarded) 19 October 2022 (presented)[66] | Seoul, South Korea |
| Michael Robert Payne | United Kingdom | Author of the 2021 IOC bookToon In! | 1 December 2022[67] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Elguja Berishvili |  Georgia | First Vice President of the Georgian National Olympic Committee, "for his contribution to the Olympic movement". First Georgian recipient. | April 2023 (awarded)[68] August 2024 (presented)[69] | Paris, France |
| Jean Durry [fr;it] | France | Author ofCoubertin autographe – Tome I (1889–1915) about Pierre de Coubertin | 23 June 2023[70] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Ed Hula | United States | Editor and Founder ofAround the Rings | 23 June 2023[70] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| David Miller | United Kingdom | Journalist and Olympic historian, author ofIgniting the Games: The Evolution of the Olympics andThomas Bach's Legacy (2022)[71] | November 2023[72] | London, England |
| Telmo Guerra |  Portugal | Portuguese artist, first Portuguese recipient | 21 June 2024[73] | Lausanne, Switzerland |
Juan Antonio Samaranch was re-elected by acclamation for a fourth consecutive term as President of the IOC. He was also presented with the first Pierre de Coubertin medal and a diploma signed by all the members of the Executive Board.
The recipients are: IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) [1997]. Léon Stukelj (SLO) [1999, posthumous]; Raymond Gafner (SUI) [1999]. H.R.H. Prince Rainier (MON) [2000]; Joao Havelange (BRA)[2000]; Giovanni Agnelli (ITA) [2000]; Alain Danet (FRA) [2000]; Kurt Furgler (SUI) [2000]; Henry Kissinger (USA) [2000]; Yoshiaki Tsutsumi (JAP) [2000]; Emil Zatopek (CZE) [at the funerary ceremony on December 6th 2000, in Prague). Judge Kéba Mbaye (SEN) [2001]; Rodolphe Leising (SUI) [2001]; and Wolf Lyberg (SWE) [2001].
In a simple ceremony at Prague's 19th century National Theatre, politicians, diplomats and sporting icons from around the world paid tribute to the unassuming Zatopek who died on November 21. He was 78. With the Olympic flag overhead and Zatopek's coffin draped with the Czech flag, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Zatopek posthumously the Pierre de Coubertin medal, the IOC's highest honor.
SOK:s före detta generalsekreterare Wolf Lyberg tilldelades Pierre de Coubertinmedaljen för sina insatser och sitt långvariga arbete för IOK vid IOK:s session i Moskva. Medaljen utdelades vid en ceremoni i samband med Olympiabalen den 22 november i Stockholm av IOK:s ordförande Jacques Rogge.[SOK's former general secretary Wolf Lyberg was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for his efforts and his long-term work for the IOC at the IOC's session in Moscow. The medal was awarded at a related ceremony with the Olympic Ball on 22 November in Stockholm by IOC President Jacques Rogge.]
The IOC honours Prof. Frieder Roskam for his pioneering services to sports facility development by awarding him the Pierre-de-Coubertin medal at a ceremony on 30 April 2002 in Cologne. Prof. Frieder Roskam, one of the founding fathers of the IAKS, dies a short while afterwards.
Eine seiner letzten Arbeiten galt der Olympiabewerbung der Rhein-Ruhr-Region für 2012. Hierfür hatte er den Teilsektor Sportstättenbau konzipiert. Zwei Wochen vor seiner 21. Operation war sein bahnbrechendes Wirken für den Sportstättenbau auch vom IOC durch die Verleihung der Pierre-de-Coubertin-Medaille bei einem Festakt am 30. April 2002 in Köln durch IOC-Vizepräsident Dr. Thomas Bach gewürdigt worden, eine Ehrung, die Frieder Roskam noch genießen konnte.[One of his last works was the Rhine-Ruhr region's Olympic bid for 2012. He had designed the sports facility construction sub-sector for this. Two weeks before his 21st operation, his groundbreaking work in sports facility construction was also recognized by the IOC with the award of the Pierre de Coubertin Medal at a ceremony on 30 April 2002 in Cologne by IOC Vice President Dr. Thomas Bach, an honor that Frieder Roskam was still able to enjoy.]
Why are none of Ladany's own sporting medals on display? "I have something like 2,000 sporting medals," he says dismissively. "I thought of including the Pierre de Coubertin Medal for outstanding service to the Olympic Movement, because it's more beautiful than all these medals here combined. But I decided I wanted to keep all that separate."
During a visit to Vaduz in February 2017, IOC President Thomas Bach presented Baron von Falz-Fein with the Pierre de Coubertin Medal...
