Pierre de Coubertin medal

The Pierre de Coubertin medal (also known as the De Coubertin medal or the True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal) is a special medal given by the International Olympic Committee to those athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events. The medal was inaugurated in 1964 and named in honour of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee. According to the Olympic Museum, "it is one of the noblest honours that can be bestowed upon an Olympic athlete."^[1]

Recipients

Athlete	Country	Event	Date	Place
Lutz Long	Germany	1936 Summer Olympics	Awarded posthumously	Berlin, Germany
Emil Zátopek	Czechoslovakia	1952 Summer Olympics	December 6 2000 (Awarded posthumously)	Helsinki, Finland
Eugenio Monti	Italy	1964 Winter Olympics	1964	Innsbruck, Austria
Karl Heinz Klee	Austria	1976 Winter Olympics	February 1977	Innsbruck, Austria
Franz Jonas	Austria	-	July 1969	-
Lawrence Lemieux	Canada	1988 Summer Olympics	September 1988	Seoul, South Korea
Raymond Gafner	Switzerland	-	1999
Tana Umaga	New Zealand	2003 Rugby Test Match	June 2003	Cardiff, Wales	-
Spencer Eccles	United States	2002 Winter Olympics	February 2002	Salt Lake City, Utah
Vanderlei de Lima	Brazil	2004 Summer Olympics	August 29, 2004	Athens, Greece

Quotations

“Nash didn't win because I gave him the bolt. He won because he had the fastest run.”

—Eugenio Monti when interviewed after giving a bolt from his own bobsled to his competitors, the British bobsled team, at the 1964 Winter Olympics. Monti was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for his sportsmanship.

“You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn't be a plating on the twenty-four kilates friendship that I felt for Lutz Long at that moment.”

—Jesse Owens after being advised by his competitor, Lutz Long, at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Long was posthumously awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for his sportsmanship.

See also

• Olympic Cup
• Olympic Order

References