The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the independent, non-governmental body that leads the Olympic Movement and oversees the Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympic Games. Established in 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris through the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin and the leadership of Demetrios Vikelas, the IOC is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and organized under the Swiss Civil Code (articles 60–79). Today, it governs relationships among National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs), Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), and athletes worldwide.

In practice, the IOC sets the Olympic Charter, selects host cities, protects the Olympic symbols, and distributes most of its revenues back into sport. As of 2020, it recognizes 206 NOCs, and its current president is Thomas Bach of Germany, who succeeded Jacques Rogge in 2013.

Origins at the Sorbonne: Reimagining the Olympic Games

The IOC was born from a cultural and educational movement. On 23 June 1894, a congress convened at the Sorbonne in Paris, led by French educator and reformer Baron Pierre de Coubertin, voted to revive the ancient Olympic Games in a modern, international form. The gathering chose the Greek businessman and writer Demetrios Vikelas as the first president of the new International Olympic Committee, a nod to Greece’s central place in Olympic history and a practical step toward staging the first modern Games in Athens in 1896.

Coubertin’s vision intertwined sport with education, internationalism, and peace. By placing the IOC as a neutral coordinator above nations and individual sports, the founders aimed for a durable institution capable of weathering politics while inspiring global participation. Lausanne became the IOC’s permanent home in 1915, chosen for its neutrality during turbulent times; in 2019, the IOC opened its sustainable headquarters, Olympic House, on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Mandate and Mission

The IOC’s mission is to promote Olympism and lead the Olympic Movement. This includes protecting the integrity of sport, promoting fair play, and ensuring the organization of the Olympic Games. Its guiding document is the Olympic Charter, which codifies roles, values, host city obligations, and the structure of the Movement.

The IOC is:

  • Owner and guardian of the Olympic Games, selecting hosts and defining standards.
  • Leader of the Olympic Movement, coordinating NOCs, IFs, OCOGs, athletes, and partners.
  • Protector of the Olympic symbols and values, including the rings and the motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communiter (Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together).
  • Distributor of revenues to support athlete development, sport infrastructure, and organizational capacity across the world.

How the IOC Is Structured

Legal form and independence

The IOC is constituted as a private association under Swiss law (articles 60–79 of the Swiss Civil Code). Members are individuals, not national delegates. This structure supports institutional independence and political neutrality.

Membership and leadership

The IOC Session is the general assembly of members and the supreme decision-making body. It elects the IOC President, members, and the Executive Board, approves host city elections, and amends the Olympic Charter.

Key elements:

  • IOC President: Provides strategic leadership and represents the IOC. Thomas Bach (Germany) has served since 2013.
  • Executive Board: Manages regular affairs, including compliance, host city oversight, and strategic reform.
  • Commissions: Expert and stakeholder bodies (e.g., Athletes’ Commission, Ethics, Coordination Commissions for specific Games) that advise and implement policies.
  • Athlete representation: The Athletes’ Commission, elected by Olympians, provides a direct voice in decisions and maintains a seat on the Executive Board.

From Bids to Partnerships: Selecting Olympic Hosts

Historically competitive bids have given way to a more collaborative approach after the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5. The IOC now uses ongoing dialogue via Future Host Commissions for Summer and Winter Games to identify interested regions and co-create plans focused on sustainability, legacy, and viability.

Core principles:

  • Flexibility: Emphasis on using existing or temporary venues and spreading events across regions when appropriate.
  • Sustainability: Prioritizing environmental impact, climate resiliency, and long-term use.
  • Human rights and good governance: Embedded into the Host City Contract and evaluations.
  • Financial prudence: Clear separation of public investment in infrastructure from OCOG operating budgets, plus rigorous risk management.

Under this model, Brisbane was elected to host the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games through a targeted dialogue process that reduced costs and uncertainty for candidates.

What the IOC Actually Does

Organizing the Games

While Organising Committees stage each edition of the Games, the IOC sets standards, approves plans, and monitors delivery through coordination commissions. It ensures compliance with the Olympic Charter and Host City Contract on areas like athlete experience, venue readiness, security coordination, sustainability, and legacy planning.

Supporting athletes and NOCs

  • Olympic Solidarity: Grants and programs for athlete scholarships, coaching education, and NOC capacity-building, with an emphasis on universal participation.
  • Refugee Olympic Team: Launched to give displaced athletes a platform to compete under the Olympic flag and spotlight the resilience of refugees worldwide.
  • Athlete safeguarding: Policies and tools to prevent harassment and abuse, plus mental health resources and career transition programs.

Integrity and anti-doping

The IOC drives integrity initiatives across the Movement. It helped establish the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and supports the International Testing Agency (ITA)

Rules, neutrality, and expression

The Olympic Charter emphasizes political neutrality and equal participation. Rules such as Rule 50 (field-of-play neutrality) and Rule 40 (marketing guidelines for athletes during the Games period) aim to balance athletes’ rights, commercial integrity, and the Games’ universality. In recent years, the IOC has refined these rules to clarify permitted forms of expression in appropriate contexts, while maintaining neutrality on the field of play.

Finances: Where the Money Comes From—and Goes

The IOC operates on a quadrennial cycle, primarily funded by broadcast rights and global sponsorships through the worldwide TOP (The Olympic Partner) Programme. Additional revenue sources include licensing and ticketing-related income handled with OCOGs.

Typical distribution:

  • Broadcast rights: The largest share of IOC revenue.
  • TOP sponsorship: Global partners providing funds, technology, and expertise.
  • Redistribution: Approximately 90% of IOC revenue is returned to the Olympic Movement via OCOGs, IFs, NOCs, and athlete programs.

This model helps fund athlete pathways, underwrites hosting costs, and supports sport development in countries with fewer resources.

Youth Olympic Games and Innovation

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) launched in 2010 to engage younger audiences, test innovative formats, and blend sport with culture and education. The YOG have introduced new urban and mixed-gender events, reflecting evolving interests and emphasizing life skills for young athletes. The Winter YOG have similarly tested formats and sustainability strategies that can inform the senior Games.

Symbols, Values, and Cultural Impact

The five interlocking rings symbolize the universality of the Olympic Movement. The Olympic Torch Relay, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and medal design traditions create a shared global narrative. The core values—excellence, friendship, respect—guide decisions and outreach, while the updated motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communiter, underlines collaboration.

Educational programs promoted by the IOC and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne showcase the history of the Games, the relevance of ethics in sport, and the power of cultural exchange.

Challenges and Reforms

Like any global institution, the IOC faces scrutiny and evolving expectations.

  • Doping and integrity: Continual advancement of testing, data analytics, and independent oversight.
  • Human rights and inclusion: Integrating rights-based criteria into host selection and ensuring safe, inclusive participation, including gender equality initiatives and pathways for athletes with diverse backgrounds.
  • Geopolitical tensions: Upholding neutrality and athlete-centered participation criteria during conflicts, including policies that permit eligible athletes to compete as neutrals in specific circumstances.
  • Sustainability: Minimizing environmental impacts, maximizing re-use of venues, and planning legacies that serve communities well beyond the Games.
  • Trust and transparency: Agenda 2020 and 2020+5 reforms strengthened ethics rules, host selection, cost control, and stakeholder engagement.

The IOC Within the Olympic Movement

The Olympic Movement comprises three main pillars:

  • International Olympic Committee (IOC): Provides leadership, rules, and resources.
  • International Federations (IFs): Govern individual sports globally (e.g., World Athletics, World Aquatics) and set technical rules for Olympic competitions.
  • National Olympic Committees (NOCs): Develop sport nationally and select and support Olympic teams; 206 NOCs are recognized by the IOC.

These entities collaborate with Organising Committees, athletes, sponsors, and broadcasters to deliver each edition of the Games and sustain year-round sport activity.

Milestones and Moments

  • 1894: IOC founded at the Sorbonne; Demetrios Vikelas elected first president.
  • 1896: Athens hosts the first modern Olympic Games.
  • 1915: IOC relocates to Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • 1999: Creation of WADA strengthens anti-doping efforts.
  • 2010: Inaugural Youth Olympic Games (Singapore).
  • 2014–2020: Agenda 2020 reforms reshape bidding and sustainability; followed by Agenda 2020+5.
  • 2019: Opening of Olympic House, a landmark in sustainable design.

Why the IOC Matters

Beyond the spectacle of the Games, the IOC channels global attention and funding into sport participation, education, health, and inclusion. By redistributing revenues and supporting NOCs and IFs, it helps sustain the pyramid that leads from community sport to the Olympic stage. When the Olympics are at their best, they offer a rare shared experience, revealing the unifying potential of fair competition and human excellence.

Quick facts

  • Founded: 1894, Paris (Sorbonne)
  • Founders: Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas
  • Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Legal status: Association under Swiss Civil Code (articles 60–79)
  • Scope: Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympic Games; 206 recognized NOCs (as of 2020)
  • Current president: Thomas Bach (Germany)

FAQ

What is the International Olympic Committee?

The IOC is an independent, non-governmental association based in Lausanne that leads the Olympic Movement worldwide. It owns the Olympic Games, sets the Olympic Charter, selects host cities, and supports athletes, NOCs, and International Federations.

When and where was the IOC founded, and by whom?

The IOC was founded on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. It was initiated by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, with Demetrios Vikelas elected as the first president to guide the revival of the modern Olympic Games.

How does the IOC choose Olympic host cities?

Through continuous dialogue led by the Future Host Commissions. The process prioritizes sustainability, legacy, human rights, and financial viability, enabling tailored solutions and greater use of existing or temporary venues.

How is the IOC funded?

Primarily through broadcast rights and global sponsorships via the TOP Programme, supplemented by licensing and Games-related revenues. Around 90% of revenue is redistributed to support athletes, NOCs, IFs, and Organising Committees.

What is the IOC’s role in anti-doping?

The IOC helped establish WADA and supports independent testing through the International Testing Agency. It oversees doping controls at the Games and conducts long-term sample storage and reanalysis to protect clean athletes.

How many National Olympic Committees are recognized?

As of 2020, the IOC recognizes 206 National Olympic Committees, representing territories and countries across all continents.

Who is the current IOC president?

Thomas Bach of Germany has served as IOC President since September 2013, following Jacques Rogge of Belgium.