Pierre de Coubertin, the originator of the modern Olympic Games, created the honour during the Brussels Olympic Congress of 1905 for those who had made outstanding services to sports or to those who had a major contribution in promoting the Olympic ideals. Strangely, at the
1908 Summer Olympics in London, where red, blue and yellow vouchers were exchanged by the first three athletes for gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, a non-winning competitor's blue voucher could be exchanged for a 'Diploma of Merit' (equivalent of the Olympic Diploma). Sports people who have won the award include Englishman
Jack Beresford, winner of medals at five successive Olympics, Dane
Ivan Osiier who took part in seven Olympic Games over 28 years, missing the 1936 Games as a protest against Nazism and Frenchman
Jean Borotra, Olympic bronze medallist in the Men's Doubles in 1924, winner of four different tennis
Grand Slam titles and founder of the
International Fair Play Committee. The IOC discontinued the Olympic Diploma of Merit, and three other awards, at the 75th IOC session in 1974. The two extant awards are the
Olympic Order, created in 1975 for distinguished contributions to the Olympic movement, and the
Olympic Cup, instituted in 1906 by Coubertin for organisations with a record of support for the Olympics and presented annually. == List of recipients ==