What is the Olympic Program?

The "Olympic Program" is the Program of sports, disciplines and events decided by the IOC for the Games of the Olympiad and the Olympic Winter Games. The Games of the Olympiad must contain at least fifteen Olympic sports. No such minimum exists for the Olympic Winter Games, which are reserved for sports practiced on snow or ice.

Who decides?

The admission or exclusion of a sport falls within the competence of the IOC Session. A decision to include or exclude a discipline or event falls within the competence of the IOC Executive Board.

Basic criteria for events

To be included in the Program for the Olympic Games, an Olympic sport or discipline must fulfill the following criteria: for the Games of the Olympiad, only sports/disciplines widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents may be included; for the Olympic Winter Games, only sports/disciplines widely practiced in at least 25 countries and on three continents may be included.

An event, being a competition in an Olympic sport or in one of its disciplines and resulting in a ranking, gives rise to the award of medals and diplomas. To be included in the Program, an event must, first and foremost, enjoy a recognized position internationally in both numerical and geographical terms and have featured at least twice in world or continental championships.
Sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable.

Timing

Apart from exceptional circumstances, the Program of sports and disciplines is finalized seven years before each Olympic Games, and the Program of events is finalized four years before the Games.

Subject to the agreement of the International Federation concerned and the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, the IOC may depart from these time limits in order to include a discipline or event in the Program.

Centennial Congress recommendations

The Centennial Olympic Congress, the "Congress of Unity", held in Paris in 1994, recommended that the principal criteria for inclusion in the Olympic Program should be the universality and popularity of the sports. The Congress Final Document also added that, in order to evolve, the Olympic Program should also take into consideration the development of sports in contemporary society, as well as respecting certain traditions.


Organization

The Olympic Movement encompasses organisations, athletes and other persons who agree to be guided by the Olympic Charter

Mission of the International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement. Its role is to promote top-level sport as well as sport for all in accordance with the Olympic Charter. It ensures the regular celebration of the Olympic Games and strongly encourages, by appropriate means, the promotion of women in sport, that of sports ethics and the protection of athletes.

The IOC is composed of a maximum of 115 co-opted members (however until 31 December 2003, the total number of IOC members may reach 130) who meet in Session at least once a year. The Session elects a President for a term of eight years, renewable once for four years, and Executive Board members for terms of four years.

By retaining all rights relating to the organisation, marketing, broadcasting and reproduction of the Olympic Games, the IOC ensures the continuity of a unique and universal event.
The Olympic Movement receives most of its funding from the Olympic Games rights bought by broadcast networks. However, it also benefits from the Olympic Partners world-wide sponsorship programme (TOP) comprising multinational companies.

Evolution of its structure

Following the corruption allegations made in December 1998 against the Bid Committee for the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, IOC President Samaranch immediately appointed a Commission to gather evidence. Six weeks later, the IOC published the results of its inquiry and recommended to the Session that the members involved be punished. The crisis resulted in four resignations, six expulsions and ten official warnings.

This crisis showed the IOC members how much they needed to modernise their institution. This was undertaken in a very short space of time, with radical decisions taken during 1999:

-- Procedure for electing candidate cities for 2006 amended and visits by IOC members to candidate cities abolished.
-- 15 active Olympic athletes, elected by their peers at the Olympic Games.
-- Creation of a Nominations Commission for IOC membership.
-- Mandate of IOC Members to last eight years, renewable through re-election.
-- IOC to have a maximum of 115 members.
-- Presidential mandate limited to eight years, renewable once for four years.
-- 15 members to come from IFs, 15 from the NOCs and 70 other as individual members.
-- Age limit lowered to 70.
-- Creation of the IOC Ethics Commission.
-- Creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
-- Greater financial transparency through the publication of financial reports on the sources and use of the Olympic Movement's income.
-- IOC Session opened to the media for the first time.

Administration

The International Olympic Committee is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement

Structure

The administration of the IOC is placed under the responsibility of the Director General who, under the authority of the President, runs it with the assistance of the Directors; the latter are at the head of small units responsible for dealing with business in their respective sectors of competence (Olympic Games, International Cooperation and Development, Finance and Administration, Sports, Relations with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Technology, Communications, Information Management, Television and Marketing Services, Legal Affairs, Medical and Scientific, Olympic Museum and Olympic Solidarity).

Missions

The main assignments of the administration include: preparation, implementation and follow-up of decisions taken by the Session, the Executive Board and the President; preparation and follow-up of the work of all commissions; permanent liaison with the IFs, NOCs and OCOGs; coordination of the preparation for all Olympic Games; organisation and preparation of other Olympic events; circulation of information within the Olympic Movement; advice to candidate cities; relations with many international governmental and non-governmental organisations dealing with, in particular, sport, education and culture; liaison with Olympic Solidarity and the implementation of many other tasks of an ongoing or ad hoc nature assigned to it by the President and the Executive Board.

Members

The International Olympic Committee is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement.The IOC members, natural persons, are representatives of the IOC in their respective countries, and not their country's delegate within the IOC. As stated in the Olympic Charter: "Members of the IOC represent and promote the interests of the IOC and of the Olympic Movement in their countries and in the organisations of the Olympic Movement in which they serve" (Olympic Charter 2004, page 28).There are currently 111# members, 25 honorary members and 2 honour members. Juan Antonio Samaranch is Honorary President for life.

National Olympic Committees

Organization of the NOCs There are currently 203 National Olympic Committees over five continents.Association of National Olympic Committees The NOCs come together at least once every two years in the form of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) to exchange information and experiences in order to consolidate their role within the Olympic Movement. In this way the ANOC helps the NOCs to prepare for their meetings with the IOC Executive Board and Olympic Congresses.

The ANOC also makes recommendations to the IOC regarding the use of funds deriving from the television rights intended for the NOCs. These recommendations focus on the implementation of the Olympic Solidarity programmes in particular.The ANOC is currently made up of the 203 NOCs and is split among five continental associations:Africa: ANOCA (Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa)America: PASO (Pan American Sports Organisation)Asia: OCA (Olympic Council of Asia)Europe: EOC (European Olympic Committees)Mission of the NOCs The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) promote the fundamental principles of Olympism at a national level within the framework of sports.

NOCs are committed to the development of athletes and support the development of sport for all programs and high performance sport in their countries. They also participate in the training of sports administrators by organising educational programs.Another objective of the National Olympic Committees is to ensure that athletes from their respective nations attend the Olympic Games. Only a NOC is able to select and send teams and competitors for participation in the Olympic Games.National Olympic Committees also supervise the preliminary selection of potential bid cities. Before a candidate city can compete against those in other countries, it first must win the selection process by the NOC in its own country.

The National Olympic Committee can then name that city to the IOC as a candidate to host the Olympic Games.Although most NOCs are from nations, the IOC also recognises independent territories, commonwealths, protectorates and geographical areas. There are currently 203 NOCs, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe.