I think the olympic gold medal is the most prestigeous sports award in the world. I was a swimmer in college and actually swam against Mark Spitz in the early 70's. Tried for the 1972 olympic team but did not make it. To many world class swimmers. Of course that was the time when the world was getting into steroids in sports to enhanse preformance.
Amatures were truely amatures. No sponsors to give the athlete money for training. You had to get there on your own. Athletes did training and competition for the love of the sport.
Of course I would not mind being a world class athlete getting millions of dollars from sponsors. But of all the awards, to me the olympic gold medal is the best.