Olympic Orders Presentation

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today awarded the Olympic Order to Mr Irwin Belk, member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) for over 30 years; to Professor Eduardo Henrique de Rose, former president of the Brazilian Society of Sports Medicine and member of the IOC Medical Commission since 1984; to Mr. Peter Montgomery, water polo team athlete, vice-president of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and one of the founders of the World Olympian Association (WOA); and to Mr. David Wallechinsky, Olympic historian and author of the Complete Book of the Summer and Winter Olympics.Earlier this week, the Olympic Order was presented to retiring IOC members Mr William Hybl, Mr Vladimir Cernusak, Mr Niels Holst-Sørensen, and Judge Keba Mbaye (gold), and to .Mrs Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics, the world's largest program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with mental retardation. The Olympic Order is awarded to persons who have illustrated the Olympic ideal through their action, have achieved remarkable merit in the sports world, or have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause, either through their own achievement or their contribution to the development of sport.