New Olympic Laurel Award to “Reconnect with the Ideals and Values of the Ancient Olympic Games”

Greek President offers stone from Ancient Olympia for the new trophy.

IOC President Thomas Bach today gave more details of the new Olympic Laurel award that will be awarded at the Opening Ceremony of every Olympic Games. The new award will honour outstanding individuals in education, culture, development and peace through sport.

“With the Olympic Laurel we are reconnecting with the ideals and values of the Ancient Olympic Games,” said President Bach. “This is why we are so pleased to receive the stone for the award from Ancient Olympia. With its focus on human development through peace and sport, the Olympic Laurel award will connect the modern Games to the spirit of the Ancient Games and according to the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder and renovator of the Modern Olympic Games.”

The Olympic Laurel will be awarded for the first time on 5 August 2016, during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Rio 2016. The stone used in the award trophy will come from Ancient Olympia. The creation of the Olympic Laurel is part of the reforms under Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.

President Bach made the announcement during the visit of the President of Greece, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, to The Olympic Museum earlier today.