“The most important thing is not to win, but to take part”. These are the words that were uttered by the founder of the modern Olympic games, Pierre de Coubertin. Over the years many people have heeded these words when competing in the Olympics and as a result a select few have been awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal.
The Pierre de Coubertin medal is awarded to a person who demonstrates the spirit of sportsmanship when competing in Olympic events. It is a medal that is considered by many to be more prestigious than winning a gold medal as in many cases the recipients of the medal have sacrificed victory in order to show a high level of sportsmanship. To date only ten people have been awarded this honour and here is a look at just two of those people and the extraordinary acts that saw this honour bestowed on them.
Carl Ludwig “Lutz” Long
Most people are aware of Jesse Owens amazing achievement of five gold medals at the 1936 Olympics, however, one of those victories may not have come to fruition had it not been for the advice from “Lutz” Long, a German prodigy in the Long Jump. With the preliminary round for the Long Jump drawing to a close Jesse Owens had yet to complete a jump due to two fouls, and with only one jump remaining Owens sat out on the field a distraught man, as he feared failure.
Upon seeing this, Long, according to Owens, is said to have gone up to him and told him to jump from a few inches behind the take off line as Long was aware that Owens was more than capable of the qualifying distance of 7.15m. With Long’s advice ringing in his ears, Owens took off and managed to book his place in the final, where he beat the Olympic record that Long himself had set earlier that day, consequently, Owens captured the gold medal and congratulations from Long as they celebrated together, as Long finished in second. Not only had Long helped Owens to victory he was brave in celebrating Owens glory with Hitler present, these gestures sealed his place in history and he was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal after his death.
Eugenio Monti
Eugenio Monti was an Italian bobsledder in the 50’s and 60’s and is widely considered a legend of the sport, winning ten World Championship medals and six Olympic medals. In 1964 however, came his finest moment when participating in the two-man Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. He became aware that the British team of Tony Nash and Richard Dixon had broken a bolt on their sled and as a result would’ve been unable to compete, that was until Monti stepped in and lent the Brits his bolt. Thanks to the generosity of Monti the British team went on to complete the run in the fastest time, thus claiming the gold medal, while Monti and his partner won bronze. Not only was he a man of great sportsmanship in the heat of battle as this act shows, he was also very gracious in defeat as he was berated by Italian press for his actions, he simply said, “Nash didn’t win because I gave him the bolt. He won because he had the fastest run”.
He also helped out the Canadian team in the four-man Bobsleigh at the same games when they needed mechanical assistance; he and his mechanics saw fit to offer a helping hand to their adversaries. Upon completing this deed the Canadians were permitted to compete, and like the Britons he had helped, they went on to win gold, leaving Monti to pick up bronze, yet again.
These selfless acts were what the modern Olympics were founded on and would make Pierre de Coubertin proud, and yet, today the Olympics are plagued with drug cheats who have no regard for Pierre de Coubertin’s Olympic vision, one must imagine that he is rolling in his grave at the way a certain few act at his beloved games.
