MADRID, Jan. 15 (SportsFinding) –
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday recognized the coach of the German women's gymnasts team, Ulla Koch, and the British Malcolm Arnold, one of the most prestigious athlete trainers in the world, for her career.
Koch, 64, a native of Bergisch Gladbach in northwestern Germany, will receive the award with Malcolm in the presence of IOC President Thomas Bach, this Friday at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (Switzerland).
The coach, who has prepared for the German women's team since 2005, will retire from this role after the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Koch led his athletes to get a total of 34 medals in international competitions, including world and European championships and the Olympic Games.
The coach also held various positions in the German Gymnastics Federation. In addition to Koch, British athletic trainer Malcolm Arnold – one of the most famous fence technicians – will also be distinguished by the IOC with a prize for his career.
“It is a recognition of the fundamental role that these professionals played in generations of athletes, inspiring them to embrace Olympic values and helping them realize their dreams. I know from my own experience the important role that coaches play in the career of an athlete,” Bach praised. , president of the IOC and 1976 Olympic fencing champion.