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Freeman, Gebrsalassie honored by IOC
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Australian athlete Cathy Freeman and Ethiopian long-distance runner Hailie Gebrselassie are among those who will be given an Olympic order to celebrate their achievements. The International Olympic Committee announced the names of ten athletes Tuesday who will be given the award to coincide with Olympic Day on Saturday. Freeman won gold in the 400-meters at the Sydney Olympics last year and silver in the 1996 Games in Atlanta. She was the first aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic medal. Gebrselassie won gold in the 10,000 meters in 1996 and 2000. Other awards will go to Myriam Bedard of Canada, for two gold medals in the biathlon in 1994 and one bronze in 1992; David Douillet of France for two golds in judo in 1996 and 2000; swimmer Kristina Egerszegi of Hungary whose achievements included five told medals between 1988 and 1996; and Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin for three golds in 1988, 1992 and 1996 and silver in 2000. Marco Marin, the Italian fencer, was cited for his gold, two silvers and one bronze in 1984 and 1988; Turkish weightlifter Naim Suleymanoglu -- dubbed "pocket hercules" -- for three golds; Swiss skiing ace Pirmin Zurbriggen for gold and bronze in the downhill and giant slalom in 1988; and Japanese ski jumper Kazuyoshi Funaki, for two golds and one silver in 1998. The Olympic order is given to those who have achieved "remarkable merit in the sports world, or have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause, either through personal achievement or to the development of sport." Personalities who have already received the award include skiing's Alberto Tomba, German tennis star Steffi Graf and former South African President Nelson Mandela.
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