Editing Olympic Games (section)

==International Olympic Committee==
{{see also|International Olympic Committee}}
The Olympic Movement encompasses a large number of national and international sporting organisations and federations, recognised media partners, as well as athletes, officials, judges, and every other person and institution that agrees to abide by the rules of the Olympic Charter.<ref name="movement" /> As the umbrella organisation of the Olympic Movement, the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) is responsible for selecting the host city, overseeing the planning of the Olympic Games, updating and approving the Olympic sports programme, and negotiating sponsorship and broadcasting rights.<ref name="movement roles" />

The Olympic Movement is made of three major elements:
* [[List of international sport federations|International Federations]] (IFs) are the [[Sports governing body|governing bodies]] that supervise a sport at an international level. For example, the International Federation of Association Football ([[FIFA]]) is the IF for association football, and the [[Fédération Internationale de Volleyball]] is the international governing body for volleyball. There are currently 35 IFs in the Olympic Movement, representing each of the Olympic sports.<ref>{{cite web|title=For the Good of the Athletes|publisher=The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad|date=31 October 2007|url=http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/ioc/n214186786.shtml|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123170335/http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/ioc/n214186786.shtml|archive-date=23 January 2009 }}</ref>
* [[National Olympic Committee]]s (NOCs) represent and regulate the Olympic Movement within each country. For example, the [[Russian Olympic Committee]] (ROC) is the NOC of the Russian Federation. There are currently 206 NOCs recognised by the IOC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/national-olympic-committees|title=National Olympic Committees|access-date=13 March 2021|website=olympic.org}} Click on "What is a National Olympic Committee?" (at top of page)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurolympic.org/south-sudan-206th-noc-in-the-olympic-movement/|title=South Sudan 206th NOC in the Olympic Movement|date=4 August 2015|access-date=13 March 2021|website=eurolympic.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313230227/https://www.eurolympic.org/south-sudan-206th-noc-in-the-olympic-movement/|archive-date=13 March 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) are temporary committees responsible for the organisation of each Olympic Games. OCOGs are dissolved after each Games once the final report is delivered to the IOC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/ioc-governance-organising-committees|title=Organising Committees for the Olympic Games|publisher=Olympic Games|access-date=18 July 2012}}</ref>

French and English are the official languages of the Olympic Movement. The other language used at each Olympic Games is the language of the host country (or languages, if a country has more than one official language apart from French or English). Every proclamation (such as the announcement of each country during the parade of nations in the opening ceremony) is spoken in these three (or more) languages, or the main two depending on whether the host country is an English or French speaking country: French is always spoken first, followed by an English translation, and then the dominant language of the host nation (when this is not English or French).{{sfn|Olympic Charter|2007|p=53|loc=Rule 24}}

In March 2025, [[Kirsty Coventry]] made history by becoming the first woman and the first African to be elected as President of the IOC. Coventry embodies high aspirations, envisioning a future where the Olympics serve as a symbol of global unity, weaving together diverse cultures and nations through athletic excellence. Coventry’s leadership is set to ensure that every nation has an equal chance to shine on the Olympic stage, separating sports from politics. Coventry’s plans aligns with the IOC's broader efforts to strengthen global partnerships, particularly with [[BRICS]] nations, while reinforcing its role as a global unifier, promoting peace and development through sports.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-23 |title=IOC President Kirsty Coventry Advocates Against Olympic Bans Over Conflicts - Oneindia |url=https://www.oneindia.com/videos/ioc-president-kirsty-coventry-opposes-olympic-bans-conflicts-011-4230938.html |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=www.oneindia.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AIMS congratulates Kirsty Coventry on her historic election as the IOC President – AIMS |url=https://aims.sport/aims-congratulates-kirsty-coventry-on-her-historic-election-as-the-ioc-president/2025/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |language=en-US}}</ref> 

===Allegations of bribery and corruption===
The IOC has often been accused of being an intractable organisation, with several life members on the committee. The presidential terms of [[Avery Brundage]] and [[Juan Antonio Samaranch]] were especially controversial. Brundage fought strongly for amateurism and against the commercialisation of the Olympic Games, even as these attitudes came to be seen as incongruous with the realities of modern sports. The advent of state-sponsored athletes from the [[Eastern Bloc]] countries further eroded the ideology of the pure [[Amateur sports|amateur]], as it placed self-financed amateurs of Western countries at a disadvantage.<ref name=Maraniss>{{cite book
|title=Rome 1960: The Summer Olympics that Stirred the World
|author=[[David Maraniss]]
|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]
|date=14 July 2009
|isbn=978-1-4165-3408-2
|url=https://parents.simonandschuster.com/9781416534082
}}</ref>{{rp|pp. 52–60}} Brundage was accused of [[antisemitism]] and of racism in [[Apartheid-era South Africa and the Olympics|resisting the exclusion of South Africa]].<ref name=Maraniss>{{cite book
|title=Rome 1960: The Summer Olympics that Stirred the World
|author=[[David Maraniss]]
|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]
|date=14 July 2009
|isbn=978-1-4165-3408-2
|url=https://parents.simonandschuster.com/9781416534082
}}</ref>{{rp|pp. 60–69}} Under the Samaranch presidency, the office was accused of both [[nepotism]] and corruption.<ref>{{cite news|title=Samaranch Defends Nominating Son for IOC Post|website=[[CBC.ca]]|date=18 May 2001|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/2.722/samaranch-defends-nominating-son-for-ioc-post-1.286083|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205190231/http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2001/05/18/ioc010516.html|archive-date=5 December 2008 }}</ref> Samaranch's ties with the [[Franco regime]] in Spain were also a source of criticism.<ref>{{cite news|title=Olympics: Barcelona Profile; Samaranch, Under the Gun Shoots Back|last=Riding|first=Alan|date=30 June 1992
|work=[[The New York Times]]
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/30/sports/olympics-barcelona-profile-samaranch-under-the-gun-shoots-back.html|access-date=30 January 2009|url-access=registration|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112031553/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/30/sports/olympics-barcelona-profile-samaranch-under-the-gun-shoots-back.html|archive-date=12 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1998, it was reported that several IOC members had [[2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal|taken gifts]] from members of the [[Salt Lake City]] bid committee for the hosting of the [[2002 Winter Olympics]]. There were soon four independent investigations underway: by the IOC, the [[United States Olympic Committee]] (USOC), the [[Salt Lake Organizing Committee]] (SLOC), and the [[United States Department of Justice]] (DOJ). Although nothing strictly illegal had occurred, it was felt that the acceptance of the gifts was morally dubious. As a result of the investigation, ten members of the IOC were expelled and a further ten sanctioned.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/oly/view/0,3949,35000108,00.html|title=Samaranch reflects on bid scandal with regret|work=2002 Winter Olympics coverage|publisher=Deseret News Archives|date=19 May 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020226194341/http://deseretnews.com/oly/view/0%2C3949%2C35000108%2C00.html|archive-date=26 February 2002}}</ref> Stricter rules were adopted for future bids, and caps were introduced to define how much IOC members could accept from bid cities. Additionally, new [[Term limit|term]] and age limits were put into place for IOC membership, and fifteen former Olympic athletes were added to the committee. Nevertheless, from sporting and business standpoints, the 2002 Olympics were one of the most successful Winter Games in history; records were set in both the broadcasting and marketing programs. Over two billion viewers watched more than 13&nbsp;billion viewer-hours.<ref name="Marketing_Matters_6_2002">{{cite web|title=Marketing Matters, Issue 21|date=June 2002|url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_456.pdf|access-date=20 October 2010|website=stillmed.olympic.org|publisher=IOC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323224646/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_456.pdf|archive-date=23 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2002 Games were also a financial success, raising more money with fewer sponsors than any prior Olympic Games, leaving SLOC with a surplus of [[USD|$]]40&nbsp;million. This excess revenue was used to create the Utah Athletic Foundation (also known as the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation), which maintains and operates many of the surviving Olympic venues.<ref name="Marketing_Matters_6_2002"/>

It was reported in 1999 that the [[1998 Winter Olympics|Nagano Olympic]] bid committee had spent approximately $14&nbsp;million on entertaining the 62 IOC members and many of their associates. The precise figures are unknown since [[Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee|Nagano]] destroyed the financial records after the IOC requested that the entertainment expenditures should not be made public.<ref>{{Citation|last1 =Jordan|first1 =Mary|last2 =Sullivan|first2 =Kevin|title =Nagano Burned Documents Tracing '98 Olympics Bid|newspaper =Washington Post|pages =A1|date =21 January 1999|url =https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/digest/daily/jan99/nagano21.htm|access-date =20 August 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last =Macintyre|first =Donald|title =Japan's Sullied Bid|newspaper =Time Magazine|date =1 February 1999|url =http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2053970,00.html|access-date =20 August 2016 }}</ref>

In July 2000, when the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported on the tangled nature of how the IOC redistributes profits from sponsorships and [[broadcasting rights]], Olympic historian [[Bob Barney]] stated that he had "yet to see matters of corruption in the IOC", but noted there were "matters of unaccountability".<ref>{{cite news|title=IOC: A tangled web of wealth, mystery|last1=Abrahamson|first1=Alan|last2=Wharton|first2=David|date=30 July 2000|newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|location=St. Louis, Missouri|page=24|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-ioc-2000/129932172/}}</ref> He later noted that when the spotlight is on the athletes, it has "the power to eclipse impressions of scandal or corruption", with respect to the Olympic bid process.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sun sets on Salt Lake City|date=25 February 2002|newspaper=[[Herald News (New Jersey)|Herald News]]|location=Passaic County, New Jersey|page=A1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-olympics-2002/129939234/}}; {{cite news|title=Games (Continued From A1)|date=25 February 2002|newspaper=[[Herald News (New Jersey)|Herald News]]|location=Passaic County, New Jersey|page=A6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-olympics-2002/129939110/}}</ref>

In August 2004, a [[BBC]] documentary, ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]: Buying the Games'', reported the results of an investigation into bribes allegedly used in the bidding process for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="Buying the Games" /> The documentary claimed that it was possible to bribe IOC members into voting for a particular candidate city. After being narrowly defeated in their bid for the 2012 Games,<ref>{{cite news|first=Lynn|last=Zinser|title=London Wins 2012 Olympics; New York Lags
|work=[[The New York Times]]
|date=7 July 2005|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/07/sports/othersports/london-wins-2012-olympics-new-york-lags.html|access-date=4 February 2009|url-access=registration|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529173555/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/07/sports/othersports/london-wins-2012-olympics-new-york-lags.html|archive-date=29 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Parisian mayor [[Bertrand Delanoë]] specifically accused the British prime minister [[Tony Blair]] and the [[London bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics|London bid committee]], headed by former Olympic champion [[Sebastian Coe]], of breaking the bid rules. He cited French president [[Jacques Chirac]] as a witness; Chirac gave guarded interviews concerning his involvement<ref>{{cite news|title=Paris Mayor Slams London Tactics|work=Sporting Life|location=UK|url=http://www.sportinglife.com/london2012/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others/05/07/06/manual_125524.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515073919/http://www.sportinglife.com/london2012/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others%2F05%2F07%2F06%2Fmanual_125524.html|archive-date=15 May 2011|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=dead }}</ref> but the allegation was never fully explored. [[Turin]]'s [[Turin bid for the 2006 Winter Olympics|bid]] to host the [[2006 Winter Olympics]] was also clouded by controversy; a prominent IOC member, [[Marc Hodler]], closely connected to the rival [[Sion bid for the 2006 Winter Olympics|bid]] of [[Sion, Switzerland|Sion]], alleged bribery of IOC officials by members of the Turin Organising Committee. These accusations led to a wide-ranging investigation, and also served to sour many IOC members against Sion's bid which potentially helped Turin to capture the host city nomination.<ref>{{cite news|first=Howard|last=Berkes|title=How Turin got the Games|work=[[NPR]]|date=7 February 2006|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5195274|access-date=4 February 2009}}</ref>