The IOC revealed on January 4 to who had been awarded the fair play prize at the last Tokyo Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympics may have ended several months ago, but a final medal has just been distributed. On Tuesday, the IOC announced who had won the fair play award, awarded after a vote by the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), which has chosen this award since 2008 and the Beijing Games. While many beautiful gestures were greeted during the competition, it was ultimately to seven young skateboarders that the trophy was awarded. The Japanese Sakura Yosozumi and Kokona Hiraki, the Brazilians Dora Varella and Yndiara Asp, the Briton Sky Brown, the Australian Poppy Olsen and the American Bryce Weittstein were honored for carrying, all together, their opponent Misugu Okamoto after a crash in final. “Congratulations to the skaters. The price of fair play is well deserved. Sport teaches us to aspire to excellence in all that we do; live in peace, friendship and solidarity with our neighbors; Respect ourselves and others and live with fair play in everything we do. Sport is more than just competition. It is always about the values of sport and the dissemination of these ideals in the world. This is what we saw at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, ”IOC boss Thomas Bach said in a statement.
“We do it for the honor of our teams”
Dozens of nominations have been sent by National Olympic Committees, International Federations, athletes and even fans around the world via CIFP social media and digital channels. Following a preselection of nominations, the winners were chosen by a jury made up of Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, member of the CIFP and the IOC; Emma Terho, President of the IOC Athletes’ Commission; Gianni Merlo, President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS); Yuki Ota, member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and representing Tokyo 2020; and Jeno Kamuti, President of CIFP. “The CIFP is an IOC-recognized organization created in 1963 to promote the ideals of fair play on the sports field and beyond. In addition to the fair play award, it promotes global educational initiatives aimed at young people ”, can be read on the IOC website.
Before the start of the Olympic Games, the IOC announced a change in the Olympic oath, modernizing it to once again emphasize respect and sharing. It now looks like this: “We promise to take part in these Olympic Games by respecting and following the rules, in a spirit of fair play, inclusion and equality. Together, we are united and we are committed to a sport without doping, without cheating and without any form of discrimination. We do it for the honor of our teams, with respect for the fundamental principles of Olympism, and to make the world a better place through sport ”.
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