Beijing, China, February 3, 2022: The President of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, Seiko Hashimoto, was presented with the IOC Women and Sport Awards 2021 World Trophy during the 139th IOC Session on Thursday.
After leading a four-strong delegation in presenting the final report of Tokyo 2020, Hashimoto was informed by IOC President Thomas Bach that she had been named winner of the World Trophy in acknowledgment of her leadership and her achievements.
Hashimoto, a seven-time summer and winter Olympian, promoted the role of women in sport by appointing several women to the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board after she was appointed President.
By setting such an example and leading the organising committee at a difficult time with the pandemic affecting preparations, Hashimoto was rewarded with the World Trophy.
The IOC holds the Women and Sport Awards every year and has a winner from each of the five continents, plus a World Trophy recipient.
Hashimoto described it as “the greatest honour” to be presented with the World Trophy and vowed to continue promoting gender equity and empowering women through sport and in leadership positions.
Hashimoto was Minister for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games before becoming President.
She competed at seven Olympic Games as a speed skater at Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994 and as a cyclist at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. Hashimoto is also Minister of Women's Empowerment and of State for Gender Equality.
*Zhang Xia of China was named as the winner of the Asia award and will receive her award at a ceremony later in the year.
*The Tokyo 2020 final report on the Olympic and Paralympic Games last summer stressed that 48 per cent of the 11,417 athletes from 206 teams were female, while 1 million covid tests were carried out. Of these, positive cases at the airport were 0.1 per cent and, on screening, 0.03 per cent.
Photo: World Olympians Association