Fundamental Principles of Olympism

1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

3. The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organized, universal and permanent action, carried out under the supreme authority of the IOC, of all individuals and entities who are inspired by the values of Olympism. It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of the world's athletes at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its symbol is five interlaced rings.

4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The organization, administration and management of sport must be controlled by independent sports organizations.

5. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.

6. Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and recognition by the IOC.

Olympic Games*

1. The Olympic Games are competitions between athletes in individual or team events and not between countries. They bring together the athletes selected by their respective NOCs, whose entries have been accepted by the IOC. They compete under the technical direction of the IFs concerned.

2. The Olympic Games consist of the Games of the Olympiad and the Olympic Winter Games. Only those sports which are practiced on snow or ice are considered as winter sports.

3. The authority of last resort on any question concerning the Olympic Games rests with the IOC.

4. Notwithstanding the applicable rules and deadlines for all arbitration and appeal procedures, and subject to any other provision of the World Anti-Doping Code, no decision taken by the IOC concerning an edition of the Olympic Games, including but not limited to competitions and their consequences such as rankings or results, can be challenged by anyone after a period of three years from the day of the Closing Ceremony of such Games.

Bye-law to Rule 6

1. An Olympiad is a period of four consecutive calendar years, beginning on the first of January of the first year and ending on the thirty-first of December of the fourth year.

2. The Olympiads are numbered consecutively from the first Games of the Olympiad celebrated in Athens in 1896. The XXIX Olympiad will begin on 1 January 2008.

3. The Olympic Winter Games are numbered in the order in which they are held.

The Olympic symbol*

The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions (the Olympic rings), used alone, in one or in five different colours, which are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. The rings are interlaced from left to right; the blue, black and red rings are situated at the top, the yellow and green rings at the bottom in accordance with the following graphic reproduction. The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.

The Olympic flag*

The Olympic flag has a white background, with no border. The Olympic symbol in its five colours is located in its centre.

The Olympic motto*

The Olympic motto "Citius - Altius - Fortius" expresses the aspiration of the 'Olympic Movement’.

The Olympic anthem*

The Olympic anthem is the musical work entitled "Olympic anthem", composed by Spiro Samara.

The Olympic flame, Olympic torches*

1. The Olympic flame is the flame which is kindled in Olympia under the authority of the IOC

2. An Olympic torch is a portable torch, or a replica thereof, as approved by the IOC and intended for combustion of the Olympic flame.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1603