Tasmanian athletics administrator and The Examiner sport columnist Brian Roe said he was honoured to receive a distinguished plaque of merit from World Athletics.
Awarded on the final day of the World Athletic Congress, Roe became just the 11th person from Oceania to be given the honour.
"It is a privilege to be inducted with such eminent contributors and to join a very special list of past recipients - especially in Oceania where the honour roll includes two of my most treasured mentors Margaret Mahony and the late Arthur Eustace and so many others with whom I have enjoyed many great collaborations," he said.
"I'm very honoured and appreciative to have been nominated by Oceania Athletics and equally so to have it approved by the World Athletics Congress."
Launceston-based Roe congratulated fellow recipients from the other continents including Cuba's Olympic champion Alberto Juantorena Danger.
The award recognised Roe's expertise and involvement in world athletics as an international technical official, IAAF committee member and technical delegate to many events including the 2007 World Championships.
Oceania Athletics said Roe has great experience in all aspects of athletics at local, national and international levels having held voluntary and professional capacities for more than 35 years.
"There could not be many people in World Athletics who have been involved in our sport in so many ways," it said. "With his vast knowledge of the technical side of the sport, Brian has made a significant elected contribution to World Athletics."
Roe's numerous other roles include team manager and selector, chairman of Athletics Australia Doping Control Commission, AA board member, Athletics Tasmania president and Sydney Olympics competition director.
He added: "I am eternally grateful to the late Arthur Eustace (then Oceania Athletics secretary general) and the late Clive Lee (then Oceania president) for encouraging me to travel to the Cook Islands in 1985 to help in the organisation and delivery of athletics at the South Pacific Mini Games.
"It was an amazing introduction to the diversity and extent of global athletics and provide me with the platform and incentive to explore what else might be possible.
"By contrast we hosted the World Cup in Canberra later that year where the world's best athletes were dropped on our doorstep for three days at the beginning of October - amazing performances including two world records, one of which still stands.
"Apart from my competition delivery roles I was also responsible for liaison with the IAAF (now World Athletics) staff, delegates and Council member.
"Within a year I was working at the IAAF Headquarters at Knightsbridge in London opposite Harrods - in the very offices now occupied by the Ecuadorian Embassy where Julian Assange famously was holed up.
"I acquired responsibilities in both global competition organisation and in development activities particularly in delivering courses in member federation administration, competition organisation and management and technical officials education.
"It's never really stopped evolving in the 35-plus years since and has provided me with the bonus of being able to visit so many places around the world as well as meeting so many great people dedicated to athletics."
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
