Lang Ping and Raúl de Jesús Trujillo Díaz honoured with IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award
Volleyball coach Lang Ping from China and wrestling coach Raúl de Jesús Trujillo Díaz from Cuba today received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award from IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Sergii Bubka, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission, during a ceremony at Olympic House, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Both coaches have helped countless athletes to reach the pinnacles of their sports, winning dozens of medals in the process across several editions of the Olympic Games.
“It’s really special to be here with all of you and to celebrate our two coaches for their incredible commitment and their lifetime of work in serving their athletes to become the best athlete, but also the best humans that they can be,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry during the ceremony. “So many of us who compete in sport know and understand that the lessons that we learn in sport will guide us in our everyday life after and this is where the role of coaches is so important”, she added.
Congratulating the two winners, she continued: “Thank you for your commitment to your sports, to your athletes and their well-being for generations to come, because I know that, if I look at my coach, I will hopefully instil a lot of the lessons that she’s taught me in my children. I can say that many of your athletes will do the same with their children, their friends and their family.”
Sergii Bubka, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission, that oversaw the selection of the coaches, added: “This year we received a record number of 152 nominations from the Olympic Movement, and we are once again delighted to celebrate the achievements of two remarkable coaches. Lang Ping and Raúl de Jesús Trujillo Díaz have not only served their sports with great distinction, they have also made a profound impact beyond sport on their respective communities. Both are hugely deserving of this special honour.”
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