From Decathlon Heroism to the DJ's Peacemaking Tune: CIFP Fair Play Awards

Press release: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – October 10, 2025 – From Decathlon Heroism to the DJ's Peacemaking Tune: CIFP Fair Play Awards to Celebrate Unforgettable Moments of Sportsmanship from Paris 2024

The International Fair Play Committee
(CIFP) will honor three exceptional acts of integrity and compassion from the Paris 2024
Olympic Games at its Awards Ceremony this Sunday, October 12th, in Lausanne as part of
the kick-off events for the week-long Olympic Week series of events and activities taking
place at the Olympic Museum.

The 2024 CIFP Fair Play Awards recognize a Norwegian athlete's ultimate act of selfless
teamwork, a DJ who used music to de-escalate a gold medal final, and a national
federation that embodied the spirit of international solidarity.

The three main award recipients are:
1. Sander Skotheim (Norway, Decathlete): The Selfless Teammate
Norwegian decathlete Sander Skotheim is being honored for his extraordinary act of
selflessness at the Paris 2024 Olympics. After the crushing disappointment of failing to
clear a height in the pole vault, which eliminated him from medal contention, Skotheim
chose to stay in the competition. He ran the final event, the 1500M, purely to set a
blistering pace for his teammate, Markus Rooth, who ultimately won the gold medal.
Skotheim's commitment to his teammate over his own personal grief is widely celebrated
as the true measure of Olympic spirit.

2. Antonio "Tony" Rojas (Spain, Beach Volleyball DJ): The Peacemaker
The committee recognizes Antonio "Tony" Rojas, the courtside DJ at the Women’s Beach
Volleyball gold medal final, for his creative and inspiring intervention. When high tension
began to flare during the climactic match between Brazil and Canada, Rojas seized the
moment, playing John Lennon’s globally recognizable anthem, "Imagine." The universally
peaceful melody diKused the dispute, drawing smiles from the athletes and a sing-along
from the crowd, instantly restoring the spirit of fair competition.

3. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB): Solidarity in Competition

This award celebrates an extraordinary act of solidarity. The German Olympic Sports
Confederation and its national rowing federation are honored for lending a boat to the
Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) from Belarus, Yauheni Zalaty, whose own equipment had
not arrived in time for the competition. This act of grace was oKered despite Zalaty being
one of the fiercest competitors to the German boat. Zalaty, using the borrowed boat, went
on to secure a silver medal, an achievement made possible by the Germans’ generous
display of true sportsmanship.

"These moments from Paris 2024 showcase that fair play is not just an ideal, but a tangible,
powerful force in sport," said The Honorable Sunil Sabharwal, President of the
International Fair Play Committee. "Whether through an act of sacrifice, a musical
moment of peace, or simply extending a helping hand to a competitor, these honorees
prove that character is the highest medal a person can win."

The CIFP invites media to attend the ceremony where these heroes of integrity will be
celebrated for reminding the world of the Olympic Movement's most fundamental values.

Event Details
What: CIFP Fair Play Awards Ceremony
When: Sunday, October 12, 2025, at17:15
Where: The Olympic Museum, Auditorium, Lausanne, Switzerland
About the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) CIFP is an IOC-recognized
organization established in 1963 to promote the ideals of fair play in sport and beyond. It
honors those who respect the written and unwritten rules of sport, which include integrity,
solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence, and joy, and who set an example for others, on and
oK the field of play. Most recently, the UN recognized the importance of the committee and
the movement by designating May 19 as World Fair Play Day

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