They were awarded medals more rare than Olympic gold

I had wished for an award for good sportsmanship after reading about the 5000m runners Abbey D’agostino (US)  and Nikki Hamblin (New Zealand), picking each other up after a terrible fall only 2/3 of the way through their race. Well, lo and behold, an award actually exists for sportsmanship and it went to these two runners for their special spirit and kindness to each other under difficult circumstances. The award is called The International Fair Play Committee Award.

The Olympic games are about more than the win, the medals, or the record-setting performances,” said the IOC in a statement.

At their core, the games are about the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. They are about fair play and human spirit.”

The D’Agostino and Hamblin story is one of humanity and sacrifice which has already captured the hearts of people across the globe.”

The Norwegian Men’s handball team also won the award. They lost to Germany in a qualifying match for the Olympics and then realized Germany had too many men on the field. They chose not to protest the game stating that they didn’t think the extra man helped Germany score the last goal.

So very glad they were all recognized for their actions with a medal that’s even more rare than the gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals! Only 19 Fair Play medals have been handed out over time – so they are incredibly hard to come by!

Click “CONTINUE” to see Nikki and Abbey’s race and highlights of Norway vs Germany in Men’s Handball.