International Olympic Committee

Olympics · sports · global organization

Rules the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee, or IOC, is the organization that runs the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, and Youth Olympics all around the world. They decide which cities get to host the games and set all the rules athletes have to follow.

Started way back. A man named Pierre de Coubertin and another called Demetrios Vikelas founded the IOC in 1894 because they wanted to bring countries together through sports. That was over 130 years ago!

Lives in Switzerland. The IOC headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland, where important leaders work to plan the next Olympics and make big decisions about the games.

Watches all countries. The IOC oversees National Olympic Committees, which are organizations in each country that help prepare athletes and follow Olympic rules. Together, they make up the whole Olympic Movement.

Led by Kirsty Coventry. As of 2025, Kirsty Coventry is the president of the IOC. She's in charge of guiding the organization and making important choices about the future of the Olympics.