From the USOC website:
The medallion, which will be presented to the personal coaches of future U.S. Olympic/Paralympic medalists, represents the athlete's appreciation for the integral services the coach has provided. Following the medal award ceremony, the athlete will then present the coach of their choice with the medallion and the coach will be inducted into the Order of Ikkos.
The Order of Ikkos gets its namesake from Ikkos of Tarentum, the first recorded Olympic coach in ancient Greece.
Ikkos won the pentathlon at the 84th Olympiad in 444 B.C. and later became known for his coaching ability as he led two fellow Tarentine athletes to gold in the same event.
"The effort and dedication an Olympic coach must have in preparing elite athletes to compete on the world's biggest stage often goes unnoticed,"said Steve Roush, USOC Chief of Sports Performance.
"The Order of Ikkos medal officially recognizes the knowledge, hard work and personal commitment of those coaches whose athletes achieve the greatest success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Given on behalf of the athlete and the USOC, the medal serves as a token of appreciation for a job well done."
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Much to my surprise, I (Ron Carmichael) was given the medallion after Lindsey Carmichael won a bronze medal in Beijing, 2008.
The honor was completely unexpected, and totally moving.
I do feel some insecurity about it. I could not be the coach I am today without the help of Jane Johnson who started me into coaching with my first level I and II certifications.
Most importantly, Don Rabska literally rescued Lindsey prior to the Athens games in 2003, when her shoulder pain threatened her career and no one, including myself, could determine why she had such pain while shooting. Not only did he solve that ( in just minutes), but he went on to teach Lindsey (and myself) for years, sharing wisdom, insight, and knowledge. Don's keen insight and perceptions are so good I think at times that he must be a reincarnated archer several times over. But for him, I would never have had this honor.
KiSik Lee, national head coach for USA, also taught me well, helping me to begin to understand his revolutionary approach to shooting an arrow. Lindsey's performance in Beijing was based on his BEST method, and I cannot imagine her success without that technique. I feel certain it is even more important for paralympians to use this method than able-bodied, and I hope to continue coaching archery for many years to come. My debt to this sport, which has given so much to me and my family, seems to be growing rather than shrinking.
My sincere thanks to the US Olympic Committee for allowing me this honor. AND, my thanks to my student and daughter, who after all, is the athlete who stood alone on the line in the stadium in front of thousands of cheering fans, and performed in a wonderful and exciting way, shooting her own matches and winning her own medal.