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Harvard Receives U.S. Olympic Achievement Award
Courtesy of the United States Olympic Committee and Harvard Athletic Communications
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Harvard was honored by the
U.S. Olympic Committee with the U.S. Olympic Achievement Award
Friday afternoon at the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup
Awards Luncheon during the 46th Annual National Association of
Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention.
The award, which was created jointly by the United States Olympic
Committee (USOC), the US National Governing Bodies for Sport (NGBs)
and the NACDA, recognizes the colleges and universities whose
student-athletes and coaches have won Olympic medals.
“I am honored to accept this award for Harvard
University,” the Nichols Family Director of Athletics
Bob Scalise said. “Harvard has a long
history and tradition of success at the Olympic Games dating back
to the first modern games. We are proud of the efforts all current
and former Harvard student-athletes and coaches have put form at
the highest level representing not only our country, but Harvard as
well.”
Scott Blackmun, chief executive of the USOC,
presented the award to 43 institutions at a Director's Award
Luncheon, celebrating the 28 athletes and 38 coaches from the
institutions, who have contributed to the USA's medal success at
the last two Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and Vancouver last
year.
Harvard's Emily Cross won the silver medal in the
individual and team foil at the 2008 Beijing Games.
A total of 43 institutions contributed to the USA’s medal
success at the last two Olympic Games, Beijing in 2008 and
Vancouver in 2010. Colleges and universities will be
recognized based on two criteria: having a current
student-athlete who was part of a medal-winning performance or a
coach who was a credentialed member of the U.S. Olympic Team
delegation and his/her athlete or team won a medal. Ten schools met
both criteria, while 16 institutions had a student-athlete and 22
institutions had a coach.
"The Olympic movement is important to intercollegiate athletics
and having a student-athlete or coach compete in the Games is an
honor for both the individual and institution," noted NACDA
President Dave Roach, director of athletics at
Colgate University. "The NACDA Convention allows a platform
for our association and the USOC to recognize and honor those
institutions for supporting our Olympic team."
"This award is an important step to expand the recognition and
appreciation from the U.S. Olympic movement back to the colleges
and universities that help our country win medals," said
Rich Bender, chairman of the NGB Council.
"The dream of becoming a collegiate athlete is as real as that of
aspiring to an Olympic medal. Collegiate sports are vital to
the U.S. Olympic movement and represent the pinnacle of achievement
for so many athletes beyond their Olympic success."
The U.S. Olympic Achievement Award will be presented every two years following the Olympic Games, with two versions of the award being given: an actual medal that will be presented to each institution's athletics director and a presentation piece that may be showcased in the athletics department.
