Paralympic Order presented to seven individuals

“For the last seven years, starting from when Sochi bid for and won the Games, we have been working with these individuals to ensure that Sochi 2014 was a success. It is because of their efforts and leadership that Russia will benefit from a more inclusive and equitable society in future years as a result of these Games.”

Following Sunday night’s spectacular (16 March) Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games Closing Ceremony, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) presented the Paralympic Order – the highest accolade a person connected with the Paralympic Movement can achieve – to seven individuals who played instrumental roles in the success of the Games.

At a special breakfast event on Monday (17 March) to celebrate the Games at the Ayvazovsky Hotel in Sochi, IPC President Sir Philip Craven awarded the Paralympic Order to:

• Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia

• Anatoly Pakhomov, Mayor of Sochi

• Alexander Tkachev, Governor of Krasnador

• Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of Sochi 2014 Organising Committee

• Oleg Syromolotov, Chief of Interagency Security Command Centre, Sochi 2014

• Alexander Gorovoy, Deputy Chief of Interagency Security Command Centre, Sochi 2014

• Vladimir Lukin, President of NPC Russia

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President, said: “On behalf of the whole Paralympic Movement, I would like to say a personal thank you to these seven people who have dedicated years of hard work to ensuring that the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games were a huge success.

“Each of them have played significant roles in Sochi 2014 and have proven to be huge supporters of the Paralympic Movement.

“For the last seven years, starting from when Sochi bid for and won the Games, we have been working with these individuals to ensure that Sochi 2014 was a success. It is because of their efforts and leadership that Russia will benefit from a more inclusive and equitable society in future years as a result of these Games.”

The Paralympic Order was first awarded in 1994 and previous recipients include Seb Coe, Juan Antonio Samaranch and Sir Ludwig Guttmann.

To view a list of past Paralympic Order recipients, please click here.