Lausanne, Switzerland, November 25, 2025: China’s Lang Ping, the first athlete to win Olympic volleyball gold as both player and coach, was honoured with the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award.
The International Olympic Committee honoured Lang and Cuban wrestling coach Raul de Jesus Trujillo Diaz with the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards at a ceremony at Olympic House, Lausanne, on Monday, November 24.
The pair received the awards from IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Sergii Bubka, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission.
“It’s really special to be here with all of you and to celebrate our two coaches for their incredible commitment and their lifetime of work in serving their athletes to become the best athletes, but also the best humans that they can be,” Coventry said.
Bubka noted that the selection panel received a record 152 nominations this year. “Lang Ping and Raul de Jesus Trujillo Diaz have not only served their sports with great distinction, they have also made a profound impact beyond sport on their respective communities. Both hugely deserve this special honour,” he said.
Lang helped China win volleyball gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as a player and led China’s women’s team to Olympic gold as head coach at Rio 2016, becoming the first person in the sport to win the title as athlete and coach.
She also guided teams to two Olympic silvers, with China at Atlanta 1996, and with the United States at Beijing 2008.
“Coaching is not always glamorous: when things go well, the spotlight is on the team. When things go wrong, it is usually on the coach. But with all of you, every step has been worth it,” Lang said.
Lang, now vice president of the Chinese Volleyball Association, grew emotional as she thanked former teammates, athletes and coaches across China, Italy and the United States. “This recognition belongs to all of them,” she said.
Trujillo Diaz coached the national wrestling teams of Cuba and Portugal during five editions of the Olympic Games over a 52-year-career.
