"It was Professor Olle Hjortzberg (1872-1959) of the Royal Academy who was granted the honour of deigning the diploma. In March 1912, Professor Hjortzberg presented the Swedish Olympic Committee with several sketches. The Committee members chose the one where Pallas Athena is depicted standing. In the background is the stadium where the gymnastics events were held. Was this choice of the daughter of Zeus a desire for consistency or a happy coincidence? In her right hand, the goddess holds a sceptre, and in her left hand the Greek symbol of victory. Over her chiton she is wearing a capeline whose brim is decorated with four interlinked serpents spitting venom; on her chest is the head of Medusa, one of the three gorgons, a reference to how she helped Perseus kill the creature with snakes for hair. She wears a flared crown on her head. The leafy branches of a birch tree accentuate the hieratic nature of the goddess, making her stand out from the background. A floral decoration appears on the border of the diploma, which was used both as a prize diploma and a merit diploma. One thousand prize diplomas and 450 merit diplomas were awarded".