Sculptor Yuan Xikun has become the first Chinese artist to be honored Sport Artist of the Year award by the United States Sports Academy?in Beijing?on Thursday.

The academy trustee and art committee chairman Jack Scharr presented the award to Yuan Thursday at the Beijing Jintai Art Museum.

"Yuan is very much deserving this award for his dedication to the Olympics and sports," Scharr told Xinhua.

"We chose to do it during the 2008 Olympic year to honor China and Yuan with this great award," he added.

Touring around the museum, Scharr didn't save his praises on every sculpture he saw, especially the sculpture of Pierr de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games which sculpted by Yuan in 2006.

"Coubertin is the representative of the modern day of Olympic Games and it's wonderful that he is honored like that sculpture," Scharr said.

Yuan told Xinhua that he has made a copy of the sculpture of Coubertin and will send it to Swiss for the International Olympic Committee to collect.

Yuan, 64, director of the museum, is one of the top Chinese sculptor and has won plenty of prizes both national and international. He is also a member of the Standing Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2008)