Michael Payne receives prestigious Pierre de Coubertin medal

Award-winning author and Olympic expert Michael Payne received one of the highest honors from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this month.

Payne was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal during the annual meetings of the IOC commissions in Lausanne, Switzerland. The medal pays tribute to those who contribute to the promotion of Olympism in the spirit of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games.

Presented by IOC Vice-President Ser Miang Ng, the award recognizes Payne’s outstanding contribution to the Olympic Movement. Payne is the author of “Toon In!” a book collection of 1,200 Olympic-themed cartoons.

IOC President Thomas Bach was not able to attend the ceremony due to a recent positive COVID-19 test, but had many kind words for Payne.

“You have dedicated your life to sport and the Olympic Movement,” Bach said in a statement. “As a British freestyle skiing champion in the 1970s, you championed the sport you loved decades before it took to the Olympic stage.”

“Your volume of cartoons really was an innovative cultural contribution to the understanding of the Olympic Movement and its place in the world.”

“Toon In!” was the winner of the Sunday Times Illustrated Book of the Year Award in 2022. All profits from the book go to social sport programs, including those of the Back Up Trust, Cartooning for Peace, Peace and Sport and the Yunus Sports Hub.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my professional life to serve the Olympic Movement for close to four decades,” Payne said at the ceremony in Lausanne.

“I could never envision receiving such a prestigious award,” he said.

Payne knows the power of the written word, even in cartoon form, can have a tremendous global impact.

“Other cultures will perceive events and issues differently, often through the prism of their own social, political or religious contexts,” Payne addressed to those gathered. “In this era of a polarized world and media, I believe the appreciation of different cultures is critically important for the survival of international organizations like the IOC.”

Payne also thanked the IOC for having a great sense of humor when the book came out.

“The initial reaction from the IOC regarding the book was, ‘it was scurrilous, outrageous and possibly libelous, and we can’t wait for the second edition,’” Payne told the audience.

“Thank you to the IOC for having a sense of humor, and agreeing not to sue me for libel.”