Pierre de Coubertin medal facts for kids

The Pierre de Coubertin medal is a special award given by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It honors groups and people who help spread the spirit of Pierre de Coubertin through teaching, education, research, and creative work. Pierre de Coubertin was the founder of the modern Olympic Games.

The medal was designed by André Ricard Sala. One side shows a picture of Coubertin, and the other side features the Olympic motto and the famous Olympic rings.

It's important not to confuse this medal with another award called the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy. That trophy started in 1964 and is given by the International Fair Play Committee. Sometimes, news reports mix them up. For example, in 2016, some news outlets incorrectly reported that runners Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D'Agostino received this medal. They had helped each other after falling during a race at the Olympics. However, they actually received the International Fair Play Committee Award, not the Pierre de Coubertin medal.

Who Has Received the Medal?

The Pierre de Coubertin medal is given to people and organizations who show great dedication to the Olympic values. Here are some of the notable recipients:

Recipient	Country	What They Did	When	Where
Juan Antonio Samaranch	Spain	Seventh President of the International Olympic Committee	1997	—
Leon Štukelj	Slovenia	An Olympic gymnast who lived to be very old	12 November 1999 (awarded after his death)	—
Emil Zátopek	Czechoslovakia	Famous long-distance runner from the 1952 Summer Olympics	6 December 2000 (awarded after his death)	Helsinki, Finland
Spencer Eccles	United States	Helped with the 2002 Winter Olympics	February 2002	Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Vanderlei de Lima	Brazil	Recognized for his amazing fair play and Olympic spirit during the 2004 Summer Olympics marathon	29 August 2004	Athens, Greece
Shaul Ladany	Israel	For his outstanding sports achievements over more than 40 years	17 May 2007	Minsk, Belarus
Bob Barney	Canada	Professor and historian, for his work in Olympic studies	2009	—
Eric Monnin	France	Expert in Olympic education	2012	—
Richard Garneau	Canada	Sports commentator for the 2014 Winter Olympics	6 February 2014 (awarded after his death)	Sochi, Russia
Michael Hwang	Singapore	For his excellent service to the Olympic movement	13 October 2014	Singapore
Petros Synadinos	Greece	Long and varied service to the Olympic Movement	2016	Athens, Greece
Eduard von Falz-Fein	Liechtenstein	For his long service to the Olympic movement	17 February 2017	Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Han Meilin	China	Designer of the Fuwa, the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics	24 April 2018	Lausanne, Switzerland
Aldons Vrublevskis	Latvia	Former President of the Latvian National Olympic Committee	28 November 2020	Sigulda, Latvia
George Hirthler	United States	Author of 'The Idealist', a book about Pierre de Coubertin	23 June 2022	Lausanne, Switzerland
Rolf Lukaschewski	Germany	A contemporary artist from Germany	23 June 2022	Lausanne, Switzerland

See also

In Spanish: Medalla Pierre de Coubertin para niños

• Olympic Cup
• Olympic Order