LONDON - New Zealand yachting hero Sir Peter Blake has been posthumously awarded the Olympic Order, one of the highest awards given by the International Olympic Committee, in recognition of his services to the sport.
Sir Peter was murdered aged 53 last December by pirates who boarded his boat while it was moored in Brazil's Amazon River. When he confronted them, he was shot.
The presentation was made at Emsworth Sailing Club, in southern England, by former King Constantine of Greece and accepted by Sir Peter's wife, Lady Pippa.
"Sir Peter was an incredibly impressive man," said King Constantine.
"Through his sheer skill and determination, he had succeeded at the top of our sport," he said on the America's Cup website.
