20 September 2024 - Active or retired coaches who have shown remarkable dedication to supporting their athletes over a long period of time can now be nominated for the 2024 edition of the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards. These awards celebrate one female and one male coach who have played an indispensable role in shaping both the sporting and personal journeys of the various athletes they have worked with.
Nominations for the 2024 edition of the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards are now open until 23 October 2024. Any coach, active or retired, whose athletes have participated in at least one edition of the Olympic Summer or Winter Games is eligible. Nominations can be made by Olympians, International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), members of the IOC Athletes’ or Athletes’ Entourage commissions, and IOC Members.
The two winners will be announced in November in Lausanne.
Celebrating the athlete-coach bond
Established by the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission in 2017, the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards celebrate coaches who have made extraordinary contributions to their athletes’ Olympic journeys throughout their career.
“Coaches are of great importance both on and off the field of play,” said Sergii Bubka, IOC Member, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission and Seoul 1988 Olympic pole vault champion. “They provide essential technical and holistic support, contributing significantly to the lives of their athletes beyond just their sporting achievements.
Le lien entre l’athlète et son entraîneur est le maillon indispensable à la performance et à l'épanouissement personnel, que nous sommes ravis de célébrer à travers ces trophées.
Sergii Bubka - Membre du CIO, président de la commission de l'entourage des athlètes et champion olympique
The winners are selected by a panel appointed by IOC President Thomas Bach and chaired by Sergii Bubka. The panel includes two members of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission and two members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
The previous winners of the award are:
- 2023: Laura Martinel (Argentina, judo) and Taesuk Chang (Republic of Korea, fencing);
- 2022: Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi (France/Australia, canoe slalom) and Malcolm Brown MBE (Great Britain, triathlon);
- 2019: Ulla Koch (Germany, artistic gymnastics) and Malcolm Arnold (Great Britain, athletics);
- 2018: Katalin Rozsnyói (Hungary, canoe sprint) and Andreas Schmid (Austria, skeleton);
- 2017: Kaneko Masako (Japan, artistic swimming) and Jon Urbanchek (USA, swimming).
There were no awards in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information on how to nominate a coach, please visit IOC Coaches Award – Athlete365.
