In June 1894 the modern Olympic Movement was founded by Pierre de Fredy, the Baron de Coubertin.

He proposed a revival of the Olympic Games of classical times. A group of delegates was formed and Athens was decided to be the venue of the first Olympic Games of modern times, in 1896.

Olympism

Coubertin was not only the driving force in organising the Games, he also created a philosophy to accompany them - called Olympism. His main inspiration was drawn from the ancient Olympic games and he strongly believed in the ideals that sport possessed the power to benefit humankind and encourage peace among the nations of the world. He established this in the Olympic Charter.

Organisational Structure

The Olympic Movement has a hierarchical structure, at its head the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Below this are the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs) and National Governing Bodies (NGBs).

Eligibility

The only cirteria that the IOC imposes is that the competitor must be a citizen of the country they represent. The other committees mentioned above can add their own critera to this, e.g. age limits or elegibility of professionals.

Selection Procedure

It is the NOCs responsibility to choose the Olympic team for their nation. This is usually done by performing national qualification competition or by choosing athletes on the basis of their previous performances. The selection procedure is typically decided by each sport's IF.

1863-1937

  • Born in 1863 in France
  • Founder of the Modern Olympic Movement
  • Became president of IOC in 1896 for 29 years
  • Died in Geneva in 1937
  • Disapproved of women and fought to uphold the Olympic ideals

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