A historic tribute to sporting integrity took place in Cortina as the International Fair Play Committee honoured Italian bobsleigh legend Eugenio Monti, whose remarkable gesture of sportsmanship at the 1964 Winter Olympics helped define the modern Fair Play movement…
Hosted at the German House on February 19th, the commemoration gathered leading figures from the Olympic world, including His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Thomas Weikert, President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, and Ivo Ferriani, President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.
Monti’s legacy stems from an extraordinary moment during the Innsbruck Games, when he famously handed a vital bolt from his own sled to a rival team, allowing them to compete despite equipment failure. The act cost him a potential victory but secured his place in Olympic history as a symbol of honour and respect.
HSH Prince Albert II, Honorary Member of the International Fair Play Committee and a five-time Olympic bobsledder, delivered a moving reflection on Monti’s enduring influence. He described Monti not only as a champion, but as the very soul of the sport, embodying the courage, technical mastery and mutual respect that define bobsleigh.
The Prince emphasised that true success in sport lies not solely in victory, but in the way athletes compete. The gathering in Cortina, home to the sliding centre that bears Monti’s name, served as a powerful reminder that while medals may fade, the spirit of fair play remains timeless.
Image: International Fair Play Committee