FACTSHEET

THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT

UPDATE - APRIL 2015

ORIGIN Olympic Movement encompasses

organisations, athletes and other persons who
The brainchild of Frenchman Pierre de
agree to be guided by the Olympic Charter.”
Coubertin, the Olympic Movement and the
Olympic Charter, 2015, Rule 1.1. “The Olympic
International Olympic Committee (IOC) were
Movement is the concerted, organised,
officially established on 23 June 1894 at the
universal and permanent action, carried out
Paris International Congress that was organised
under the supreme authority of the IOC, all
by Coubertin at the Sorbonne.
individuals and entities who are inspired by the
values of Olympism. […] Belonging to the
Coubertin’s vision for the Olympic Games may
Olympic Movement requires compliance with
be summarised as follows: “Why did I restore
the Olympic Charter and recognition by the
the Olympic Games? To ennoble and
IOC”. (Olympic Charter, 2015, Fundamental
strengthen sports, to ensure their independence
Principles)
and duration, and thus to enable them better to
fulfil the educational role incumbent upon them In addition to the IOC, the Olympic Movement
in the modern world.” Coubertin is also the therefore includes the International Sports
author of the famous phrase which Federations (IFs), the National Olympic
characterises the Olympic Games: “The Committees (NOCs), the Organising
important thing in life is not the triumph, but the Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs),
fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but all other recognised federations, institutions and
to have fought well.” Pierre de Coubertin, organisations, as well athletes, judges/referees,
London, 1908, coaches and other sports technicians.

The host cities for both the first and second The goal of the Olympic Movement is clearly
editions of the modern Olympic Games were defined in the Olympic Charter: “The goal of the
quickly agreed upon during this Congress: Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a
Athens for 1896 and Paris for 1900. peaceful and better world by educating youth
people through sport practised in accordance
with Olympism and its values." Olympic Charter,
THE IOC 2015, Rule 1.1.
From a legal standpoint, the IOC is an
international non-governmental non-profit
organisation, of unlimited duration, in the form of THE MEMBERS
an association with the status of a legal person, The first membership list of the IOC in 1894
recognised by the Swiss Federal Council (ruling included a total of 15 individuals, but the number
of 17 September 1981). Its official languages today is currently 102, including the President
are French and English. The administrative and the Executive Board. At present, the IOC
headquarters of the IOC were originally based in also has 33 honorary members, one honour
Paris, but, since 10 April 1915, they have been member and an Honorary President Jacques
based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rogge. The composition of the IOC’s general
membership today is reflective of the important
part that is also played by the other segments of
the Olympic family. This is demonstrated via the
THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT current Olympic Charter stipulation that
“Under the supreme authority and leadership of
representatives of the different Olympic family
the International Olympic Committee, the
constituents (individuals holding leadership

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positions within an IF, NOC or athlete members THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
of the Athletes’ Commission) can become IOC
The Executive Board has the general
members (Olympic Charter 2015 Rule 16).
responsibility for the administration and
Thirty-eight of the IOC’s current members have
management of the IOC’s affairs.
taken part in the Olympic Games as athletes, of
Along with the President, it is the Executive
whom 28 are medallists. In more recent years,
Board members who are responsible for
the IOC membership has also evolved in terms
overseeing the IOC’s administrative affairs.
of gender. In 1981, Pirjo Häggman and Flor
Created in 1921, the Executive Board is
Isava Fonseca were the first women to be
currently composed of the IOC President, four
elected as IOC members. Today there are 24
Vice-Presidents and ten other members, all
women IOC members, and three are honorary
elected by the Session by secret ballot, by a
members.
majority of votes cast, for a four-year term.
Board members may serve no more than two
consecutive terms, and must then wait two
THE PRESIDENTS years before being re-eligible for election to the
It is a common misconception that, as the Board.
founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre
de Coubertin was also the first IOC President.
Instead, following the original stipulation that the THE SESSION
President should be from the country hosting
The general assembly of the members of the
the upcoming Games, it was the Greek
IOC is called a Session. The Session meets at
Demetrius Vikelas who was the first IOC
least once a year. The Session is the supreme
President. The original rule was quickly
organ of the IOC. It adopts, modifies and
replaced, however, and modifications to it can
interprets the Olympic Charter. Upon the
be found in the various editions of the Olympic
proposal of the Executive Board, it elects the
Charter. As a result, the number of individuals
members of the IOC. The Session also elects
who have held the position of IOC President has
the host cities of the Olympic Games. The
been few, and the period of their presidency has
quorum required for a Session is half the total
varied considerably.
membership of the IOC plus one. Decisions of
Today, in accordance with Rule 20 of the
the Session are taken by a majority of the votes
Olympic Charter, the President is elected by
cast; however, a majority of two-thirds of the
secret ballot for a period of eight years, with the
votes cast is required for any modification of the
possibility of a single extension of four years.
Fundamental Principles of Olympism, of the
Rules of the Olympic Charter or if elsewhere
Figure A: The IOC presidents provided in the Olympic Charter.
Demetrius Vikelas (GRE) 1894 – 1896
Pierre de Coubertin (FRA) 1896 – 1925
Henri de Baillet-Latour (BEL) 1925 – 1942
J. Sigfrid Edström (SWE) 1946 – 1952
THE COMMISSIONS
Avery Brundage (USA) 1952 – 1972 The President nominates special commissions
Lord Killanin (IRL) 1972 – 1980 or working groups to study certain specific
Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) 1980 – 2001 subjects and make recommendations to the
Jacques Rogge (BEL) 2001 – 2013 Executive Board. The composition of some of
Thomas Bach (GER) 2013 – the commissions is mixed, and includes IOC
members, representatives of the IFs and NOCs,
athletes, technical experts, advisers and sports

The Olympic Movement / April 2015 Page 2/5

specialists. In 2013, there are 30 commissions THE ADMINISTRATION
preparing recommendations for the Executive
The IOC administration is placed under the
Board.
responsibility of the Director General, Mr
Christophe De Kepper. He runs the
THE CURRENT COMMISSIONS administration under the authority and guidance
• Athletes of the President. He is assisted in this task by
• Audit Committee the directors.
• Coordination Commissions for the Olympic
Games (6) The main assignments of the administration
• Culture and Olympic Education include: preparation, implementation and follow-
• Entourage Commission up of the decisions taken by the Session, the
• Ethics
Executive Board and the President; preparation
• Evaluation
and follow-up of the work of all the
• Finance
commissions; and permanent liaison with the
• International relations
IFs, NOCs and OCOGs, including coordination
• IOC Executive Board
• IOC Representatives In WADA of the preparations for all Olympic Games.
• Juridical
• Marketing
• Medical THE INTERNATIONAL SPORTS
• Nominations
• Olympic Philately, Numismatic and
FEDERATIONS (IFs)
Memorabilia The International Sports Federations are
• Olympic Programme international non-governmental organisations
• Olympic Solidarity recognised by the IOC as administrating one or
• Press more sports at world level. When the IOC was
• Radio and Television established in 1894, only a very small number of
• Sport and Environment IFs existed. Today, however, there are 28
• Sport and Law Summer IFs, seven Winter IFs, and 35
• Sport for All Recognised Sports Federations that are
• TV Rights and New Media currently affiliated to the Olympic Movement.
• Women and Sport
The IFs are responsible for overseeing the
One of the most recent commissions, technical aspects and management of their
established in 1999 by President Juan Antonio sport at the Olympic Games. They also
Samaranch, is the Ethics Commission. Integrity establish the eligibility criteria for the
within the Olympic Movement extends beyond competitions of the Games, in accordance with
the Fundamental Principles and the athletes’ the Olympic Charter. They likewise play an
oath taken at the Games. Through the existence active role in the applicant and candidate city
of commissions such as the Ethics or Medical evaluation process. They join the IOC in the
Commissions, as well as via efforts to address fight against doping in sport. In order to discuss
problems such as the commercial abuse of the common problems and decide on their events
athlete, the IOC is working to uphold its ethical calendars, the Olympic Summer Sports IFs, the
and fundamental principles in a changing world. Olympic Winter Sports IFs and the Recognised
For information on the other commissions, IFs have formed associations: the Association of
please consult specific factsheets and Summer Olympic International Federations
publications. (ASOIF), the Association of International

The Olympic Movement / April 2015 Page 3/5

Olympic Winter Federations (AIOWF), the Host City Contract concluded between the IOC,
Association of Recognised International Sports the NOC and the city. Some of the aspects of an
Federations (ARISF) and Sport Accord, which is OCOG’s work include:
the association of International Sports • to give equal treatment to every sport on the
Federations. programme and ensure that competitions are
held according to the rules of the IFs;
• to choose and, if necessary, create the
THE NATIONAL OLYMPIC required facilities, competition sites,
stadiums and training halls, and to arrange
COMMITTEES (NOCs) for the equipment required;
Two hundred and five NOCs belonging to the • to accommodate the athletes, their
Olympic family are essential “ambassadors” of entourage and the officials;
the Olympic Movement in their respective
• to organise the cultural events that are an
countries, and the tasks assigned to them are
essential element of the celebration of the
clearly stipulated under Rule 27 of the Olympic
Olympic Games.
Charter. The NOCs are responsible for sending
participants to the Games and endorsing
potential future Olympic host cities within their
Figure B: Games of the Olympiad and
countries. Furthermore, they are assigned the Olympic Winter Games
Games of the Olympiad
task of promoting the Olympic Movement, its
Athens 1896
work, and its fundamental principles in their day-
Paris 1900
to-day activities. The NOCs form five continental
St Louis 1904
associations, which are represented within the
London 1908
Association of National Olympic Committees
Stockholm 1912
(ANOC).
Antwerp 1920
Paris 1924
Amsterdam 1928
THE ORGANISING Los Angeles 1932
COMMITTEES FOR THE Berlin 1936
London 1948
OLYMPIC GAMES (OCOGs) Helsinki 1952
The organisation of the Olympic Games is Melbourne/Stockholm 1956
entrusted by the IOC to the NOC of the country Rome 1960
of the host city as well as to the host city itself. Tokyo 1964
The NOC forms, for that purpose, an Organising Mexico City 1968
Committee for the Olympic Games, which, from Munich 1972
the time it is constituted, communicates directly Montreal 1976
with the IOC, from which it receives instructions. Moscow1980
The OCOG executive body includes: the IOC Los Angeles 1984
member or members in the country; the Seoul 1988
President and Secretary General of the NOC; Barcelona 1992
and at least one member representing, and Atlanta 1996
designated by the host city. Sydney 2000
Athens 2004
The OCOG must undertake its work in Beijing 2008
accordance with the Olympic Charter and the London 2012

The Olympic Movement / April 2015 Page 4/5

Rio 2016
Tokyo 2020

Winter Games
1924 Chamonix
1928 St Moritz
1932 Lake Placid
1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1948 St Moritz
1952 Oslo
1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo
1960 Squaw Valley
1964 Innsbruck
1968 Grenoble
1972 Sapporo
1976 Innsbruck
1980 Lake Placid
1984 Sarajevo
1988 Calgary
1992 Albertville
1994 Lillehammer
1998 Nagano
2002 Salt Lake City
2006 Turin
2010 Vancouver
2014 Sochi
2018 PyeongChang

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THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT 16 April 2015

A publication of the For further information, please contact

Olympic Studies Centre

Château de Vidy, Tel. + 41 21 621 66 11
1007 Lausanne, Fax + 41 21 621 67 18
Switzerland [email protected]

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