Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award

Whang Youn Dai

The Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award is named after South Korean Dr. Whang Youn Dai, who contracted polio at the age of three. She contributed her life for the development of Paralympic Sport in Korea and around the world. At the 1988 Paralympic Summer Games in Seoul, Korea, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recognized her lifelong contributions to the Paralympic Movement and established the ‘Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award’ (formerly the ‘Whang Youn Dai Overcome Prize’). Since then, this award has been presented at every Paralympic Games to one male and one female athlete who each "best exemplify the spirit of the Games and inspire and excite the world".[1]

According to the IPC, "the award is for someone who is fair, honest and is uncompromising in his or her values and prioritizes the promotion of the Paralympic Movement above personal recognition." Six finalists, three female and three male, are selected from participants at the Paralympic Games. Two winners are then selected as recipients of the prize and receive a gold medal at the closing ceremonies of the Games. South African sprint runner Oscar Pistorius was nominated for the award in 2012, but did not win.[2]

Winners

Year Host Season Winner NPC Ref
1988 Seoul Summer Ann Trotman Great Britain [3]
Per Morten Canada
1992 Barcelona Summer Wolfgang Jacile United States [4]
Angel Gabriel Chile
1996 Atlanta Summer Beatriz Mendoza Rivero Spain [5]
David Lega Sweden
1998 Nagano Winter Mi-Jeong Kim South Korea [6]
Marcin Kos Poland
2000 Sydney Summer Martina Willing Germany [7]
Oumar B. Kone Ivory Coast
2002 Salt Lake City Winter Lauren Woolstencroft Canada [8]
Axel Hecker Germany
2004 Athens Summer Zanele Sity South Africa [9]
Rainer Schmidt Australia
2006 Torino Winter Olena Iurkovska Ukraine [10]
Lonnie Hannah United States
2008 Beijing Summer Natalie Du Toit South Africa [11]
Said Gomez Panama
2010 Vancouver Winter Collette Bourgonje Canada [12]
Endo Takayuki Japan
2012 London Summer Mary Nakhumicha Zakayo Kenya [1]
Michael McKillop Ireland
2014 Sochi Winter Bibian Mentel-Spee Netherlands [13]
Toby Kane Australia

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Duncan Mackay (9 September 2012). "Pistorius overlooked for London 2012 fair play award as Ireland's McKillop chosen". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award finalists named". Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Summer 1988 Seoul". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Summer 1992 Barcelona". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Summer 1996 Atlanta". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Winter 1998 Nagano". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Summer 2000 Sydney". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Winter 2002 Barcelona". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Summer 2004 Athens". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  10. ↑ "Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - Winter 2006 Torino". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "Winners of Whang Youn Dai Award 2008". International Paralympic Committee. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  12. ↑ "Bourgonje and Takayuki to Receive Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award". International Paralympic Committee. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  13. ↑ Paxinos, Stathi (15 March 20014). "Sochi Winter Paralympics: Toby Kane becomes first Australian to win Games' top award". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 March 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)