AT THE CENTER
Olympic Values
The Olympic Movement
Quotes (25)
Olympic Values include Respect, Excellence and Friendship. As elaborated in the Olympic Charter, they encompass "mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play" as well as "social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles," non-discrimination, and "sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” Taken together, these values comprise the philosophy of Olympism.
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, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.
The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
Recognising that sport occurs within the framework of society, sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall have the rights and obligations of autonomy, which include freely establishing and controlling the rules of sport, determining the structure and governance of their organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any outside influence and the responsibility for ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.
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.
The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised in accordance with Olympism and its values.
The IOC’s role is: 1. to encourage and support the promotion of ethics and good governance in sport as well as education of youth through sport and to dedicate its efforts to ensuring that, in sport, the spirit of fair play prevails and violence is banned; […] 4. to cooperate with the competent public or private organisations and authorities in the endeavour to place sport at the service of humanity and thereby to promote peace; 5. to take action to strengthen the unity of the Olympic...
One of the fundamental principles of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world through sport, practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit. This is essentially why the International Olympic Committee revived the ancient Greek tradition of “Ekecheiria”, the Olympic Truce: using sport as an instrument to foster dialogue for reconciliation and peace, with the support of the United Nations calling on its member states. […] Of course,...
To the athletes tonight: You were true role models. You have shown us the unifying power of sport. The Olympic spirit lives in the warm embrace of competitive rivals from nations in conflict. Keep that spirit alive when you return home.
As you know, the resolution is based on the Olympic Truce, for which you have shown overwhelming support over the past 14 years. The Olympic Truce was born in the 9th century B.C. in ancient Greece. It called for warring parties to lay down their arms while athletes competed under the flame of the Olympic torch. Your endorsement of this concept reflects the universality shared by the United Nations and the Olympic Movement. […] [T]oday the IOC provides more assistance to developing countries...
The Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney were driven by the Olympic spirit. This spirit, revived by Pierre de Coubertin, is one of mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity, fair play and respect. The Sydney 2000 Games also showed that, with the support of the United Nations, the Olympic Truce can be a reality, as demonstrated by the historical joint parade of the two Korean delegations at the Opening Ceremony.
In addition, we work for peace and mutual understanding through sport in the framework of the Olympic Truce, for which an appeal is launched every two years on the occasion of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Movement seeks to build a peaceful and better world by educating young people through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The Olympic Games are wholly...
Ten years ago, we were in Sarajevo for the Olympic Games. A city then dedicated to sport, understanding, friendship and peace. Sarajevo, whose people for over two years have suffered so much. I invite everyone not only all of you here in the stadium, but everywhere around the world, maybe even in your own homes, to stand up for a moment’s silence in memory of Sarajevo. Thank you. Our message is stronger than ever. Please stop the fighting. Stop the killing. Drop your guns.
I feel these games here have proved that we can do something to contribute to the mutual understanding of the world – what we have in common and not what our differences are. If we can all come together, it'll be for a better world and will avoid the holocaust which may well be upon us if we're not careful.
The athlete must be encouraged in every way to develop his prowess and his completeness as a man or woman, but must not only be protected against commercialisation, which is the prerogative of the professional, but also against any political exploitation. If this is not done, the principle of the Olympic movement, which is to find the common denominator between men and women whatever their race, creed or political beliefs may be, is destroyed. We all have our own beliefs; we all have our...
Frequently the athletes are becoming not only victims of commercial exploitation and temptation, but also of political manœuvering. During the twenty-four years that I have been in the Olympic movement, I have seen this rapid deterioration. It began with chauvinism and nationalism. It is not possible to divorce sport and politics, but it must be possible to protect sport from political exploitation and this must be given thought. We have seen countries protesting over the name under which...
Just why has the Olympic Movement gained this important position? It is because the Games are far more than merely another sport festival. They are a social manifestation of the first order. In the Olympic Village here in Tokyo, ready for two weeks of strenuous competition in a score of different sports, are selected contestants from every continent. Ignoring superficial racial, religious and political differences, they are united in a desire for friendly competition, judged solely on merit....
The International Olympic Committee, which has promoted the philosophy of the Baron de Coubertin and has led the Olympic Movement to this lofty position can certainly look upon its work with modest pride. However, it is not yet generally understood that the revival of the Olympic Games is only the first phase of Coubertin’s programme. The Games were to arouse the interest of Governments, of educators, and of the public in establishing national programmes of physical training and competitive...
The Olympic Movement is a 20th Century religion, a religion with universal appeal which incorporates all the basic values of other religions, a modern, exciting, virile, dynamic religion, attractive to Youth, and we of the International Olympic Committee are its disciples. Here is no injustice of caste, of race, of family, of wealth; on the sports field, everyone stands or falls on his own merit. Amateurism, love of the achievement rather than the reward, brings success in all spheres....
There are no strangers here; I see around me grandchildren of the ancient Greeks, cousins who have come together with the memory and in the name of shared grandfathers.
May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure.
To me, sport was a religion with its church, dogmas, service... above all a religious feeling.
The Olympic Games are confined to amateurs. No really great results in any field have ever been accomplished except by amateurs, those who are actuated primarily by love of what they are doing and not by money. Amateurs are those who participate for love of sport, for joy of competition, for pride of excellence. They recognize that sacrifice is involved, but they are fully compensated by the immense self-satisfaction of victory, and by the adulation and the glory that comes to a champion.
Why did I restore the Olympic Games? To ennoble and strengthen sports, to ensure their independence and duration, and thus to enable them better to fulfill the educational role incumbent upon them in the modern world.
The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.