Every athlete in the world dreams of becoming an Olympian for their country. After all, there is no higher honor than representing your country at the biggest sporting stage- the Olympics. In fact, Team USA athletes take that honor forward with the Order of Ikkos.

When an Olympian wins a medal for their nation, it is one of the greatest achievements of their life. However, no Olympic champion ever achieves victory alone. Their support system, their coaches, and therapists also play just as crucial a part in their victories.

In that vein, Team USA Olympic medalists get the opportunity to bestow their support systems with an honor called the Order of Ikkos. Here’s everything you need to know about the prestigious medal.

What is the Order of Ikkos for Team USA Olympians and Paralympians?

The Order of Ikkos is a medallion of honor to recognize excellence in coaching, which translates to Olympic or Paralympic athlete medals. Every Team USA Paralympian or Olympian who wins a bronze, silver, or gold medal at the Paralympics or Olympics gets the opportunity to select a coach for the honor.

The medal symbolizes the countless hours that go into training Team USA’s athletes. After all, the Paralympians and Olympians later go on to make their nation proud of their medals. Hence, it is only right to honor their coaching staff for enabling them to reach the Olympic podiums.

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Every Team USA medal-winner receives one Order of Ikkos medal, which they can present to a single coach or mentor. They present this award to their coach during their medal victory tour.

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee set up this award ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. In fact, the name for the medal comes from the first Olympic coach from all the way back in ancient Greece, Ikkos of Tarentum.

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Truly, the Order of Ikkos isn’t merely a medallion, but a heartfelt acknowledgment and appreciation of the unspoken thousands of hours that coaches put in to enable Olympians in their pursuit of national and Olympic glory.

Elana Meyers Taylor chose her husband for her 2022 Order of Ikkos

37-year-old Team USA bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won a bronze medal in the two-woman event at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. Moreover, she also won a silver medal in the Monobob event.

In that vein, she decided to award her husband, a fellow Olympian, and her coach, the Order of Ikkos, from her bronze medal. Taylor took to Instagram to appreciate her husband, Nic Taylor, who coached her for the past four years.

Taylor described how her husband Nic became her coach and therapist, helping her through injuries while they both navigated the birth of their child and the pandemic as well. Thus, for her, apart from being her husband, Nic was her coach who helped her win the medals she did at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

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Undoubtedly, the Order of Ikkos medallion is a great honor. Moreover, it is heartwarming to see the coaches and support staff behind a medal winner receive recognition, too.