Former International Olympic Committee member Alex Gilady was posthumously awarded the Olympic Order on Friday.
Gilady died last month at the age of 79.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
He was one of the IOC's longest-serving members, having first been elected in 1994.
The final day of the 139th IOC Session, being held under a hybrid format at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, began with a moment of silence and tributes being paid to the Israeli official.
IOC President Thomas Bach praised Gilady's "outstanding contributions to our movement," and described him as a "pioneer in so many respects."
Bach then announced that the Executive Board had decided to posthumously award Gilady the Olympic Order.
Gilady, whose main background was in sports broadcasting, was a member of the IOC's Coordination Commissions for the last five Summer Olympics, including serving as vice-chair for Tokyo 2020.
He was a member of the Paris 2024 Coordination Commission from 2017 until his death.
Yael Arad, President of the Olympic Committee of Israel, said in a video message to the session that Gilady was "Mr. Television, a great commentator and producer."
"He was Mr. Olympic Movement, his identity was in the Olympic movement, he was a hard worker and always in the details. There was Alex the friend and mentor who you can always get his support. He was so supportive; we will miss him a lot and [are] already missing him now, but I am sure his legacy will light our future activity in Israel," she said.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
