Olypmic Order Awarded to Outstanding Athletes

The President of the International Olympic Committee£¨IOC £© Juan Samaranch awarded the Olympic Order to ten top athletes at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on Olympic Day, which falls on 23 June 2001.

The athletes who received this Olympic distinction and their Olympic achievements are£º

Myriam Bedard, Canadian athlete, won two gold medals in Biathlon£¨7.5km and 15km£© in 1994 and one bronze medal for 15km in 1992.

David Douillet, French athlete, won two gold medals in Judo£¨+ 100 kg£© in 1996 and 2000, one bronze medal£¨+95 kg£© in 1992.

Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungarian athlete, won five gold medals in swimming in 1988£¨200m backstroke £©£»1992 £¨100m and 200m backstroke, 400m medley £©£» 1996 £¨200m backstroke £©, one silver medal in 1988£¨100m backstroke£© and one bronze medal in 1996 £¨400m medley£©¡£

Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete, won one gold medal in athletics in 2000£¨400m£©, one silver medal in 1996 £¨400m£©¡£

Kazuyoshi Funaki, Japanese athlete, won two gold medals in ski jumping in 1998 £¨K120 individual and team£©, one silver meda in 1998 £¨K90 individual£© .

Haile Gebre Selassie, Ethiopian athlete, won two gold medals in athletics in 1996, 2000 £¨10,000m £©¡£

Alexandre Karelin, Russian athlete, won three gold medals in Wrestling in 1988, 1992, 1996£¨100-130kg£©, one silver medal in 2000£¨97-130kg£© .

Marco Marin, Italian athlete, won one gold medal in fencing in 1984£¨team sabre£©, two silver medals in 1984, 1992 £¨individual sabre£©and one bronze medal in 1988 £¨team sabre£©¡£

Naim Suleymanoglu, Turkish athlete, won three gold medals in weightlifting in 1988, 1992£¨56-60kg£©, 1996£¨59-64kg £©¡£

Pirmin Zurbriggen, Swiss athlete, won one gold medal in Alpine skiing in 1988£¨downhill£© and one bronze medal in 1988£¨giant slalom£©.

The Olympic Order is awarded to a person who has illustrated the Olympic ideal through his action, has achieved remarkable merit in the sports world, or has rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause, either through his own personal achievement or his contribution to the development of sport.

The personalities who have already received the Olympic Order include Fanny Blankers-Koen, Jean-Claude Killy, Bertrand Piccard, Jesse Owens, Steffi Graf, Alberto Tomba, Indira Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.






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