The Olympic Order is awarded for special merits to the Olympic Movement to those with a significant contribution to the development of Olympism.

The IOC also awards the Olympic Order to the main national organiser of the Olympic Games at the Closing Ceremony.

"Mr President, you show your dedication to fulfilling the Olympic mission," said Bach to Duda. 

"You promote understanding between nations and people in the world through sport. 

"I am grateful for your resolute attitude towards the war in Ukraine and your support for the peace mission of the International Olympic Committee. 

"I will never forget that gesture of friendship and how you resisted the Russian invasion."

Duda responded with gratitude to the IOC President.

"I say it many times, but it really is a cause for great joy and pride for me," said the Polish President. 

"You - athletes - bring great honour to our homeland. 

"All Olympians are a group of extraordinary people connected with each other with a sense of sports brotherhood."

An IOC tweet said that Duda was a man who "shares and supports our vision of building a better and more peaceful world through sport".

Duda's tenure as President - which started in 2015 - has been controversial, becoming one of the European heads of state who have pushed back against equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

In June 2020, the President said he would not allow gay couples to marry or adopt children calling the LGBTQ+ movement "a foreign ideology" and comparing it to indoctrination in the Soviet Union.

He pledged to ban LGBTQ+ teaching in schools and in July 2020 he changed the Constitution of Poland to ban same-sex couples from adoption.

Duda also offered support for a court ruling which restricted abortion rights further in 2021, a trend that has continued since 1993.

In 2022, Poland has been at the forefront of aid efforts for Ukraine and has accepted millions of refugees.

Bach was present at the opening of the restored Olympic Club in the Hotel Francuska, where the Polish Olympic Committee (POC) was established.

Duda attended, as did POC representatives including POC President Andrzej Kraśnicki, who was thankful for those coming to the ceremony.

"I would like to thank President Andrzej Duda, the President of the IOC Thomas Bach, and everyone for being present in this special place for the Polish Olympic Committee," said Kraśnicki.

"Here, 103 years ago, the history of the Polish Olympic Committee and the successes of Poles in the Olympic Games began. 

"Let the Olympic values - friendship, striving for excellence and respect - always be a life guide for everyone. 

"I am extremely grateful that the Hotel Francuska cherishes the past, which is so important for the future."

Bach recalled his days in charge of the German Olympic Committee - now merged and known as the German Olympic Sports Confederation - and his aim to strengthen ties with Poland, stating his admiration for Kraśnicki.

Kraków and the Małopolska region are due to hold the 2023 European Games.