The International Olympic Committee created by Paris Congress on 23rd june 1894, is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement. It has its headquaters in Lausanne Switzerland. The IOC has unquestionable powers as guide, guardian and arbiter. It owes all rights concerning the Olympic symbol, the Olympic flag, the Olympic motto, the Olympic anthem and the Olympic Games.

The IOC flag has five interlaced rings, of which the respective colours from the pole end are blue, yellow, black, green and red, on the white background. The yellow and green rings are lower than other three. The yellow ring links the blue and the black ones; the green ring links the black and the red ones. The Olympic symbol represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of the athletes from all over the world at the Olympic Games. Coubertin, who designed this emblem in 1913, explained its symbolic meaning: "these five rings represent the five part of the world now won over to olympism and ready to accept its fertile rivalries. Also(white blackground included), the six colours thus combined represent those of all nations, with no exceptions." This reflects the Olympic spirit of friendship and equality among sportsmen the world over. The Olympic flag first appeared officially in 1914, in Paris, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Games. It was first hoisted over an Olympic stadium in 1920,during the Antwerp Games.

The motto adopted by the IOC, Citius, Altius, Fortius,( Faster, Higher, Stronger),made its appearance at the Antwerp Games. In a way the IOC has a second motto:'the most important thing in the Olympic games is not to win but to take part,juts as the most important thing in life is not triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well'. These words said by couberton now appear on the electronic scoreboards at opening ceremonies of the Games.

An Olympic hymn of slow and solemn beauty and classicalinspiration was composed in 1896 by the Greek Samaras to words by one of his colleagues. In the 1950s there were calls for a change but the attemps to provide something better were unsuccessful and Samaras's cadences have since been linked to every Olympic festival. This hymn, by decision of the IOC congress in Tokyo,in 1958,has been recognized as the official Olympic anthem.

The Olympic games are competitions between athlets in individual or team events but not between coutries. Athlets compete under the technical direction of the International Federations concerned.

The Olympic Games consist of the Games of the Olympiad and the Olympic Winter Games(first celebrated in 1924). Both take place every four year.

The Olympiads are numbered consecutively from the first Olympic Games of mordern times, celebrated in Althens in 1896.

Since its foundation in 1894 the IOC has had eight successive presidents, Demetrius Vikelas 1894-1896,Baron Pierre de Coubertin 1896-1925(French),Conde henri de Baillet-latour 1925-1942(Belgian),J.Sigfrid Edstrom 1946-1952(Swedish), Avery Brundage1952-1972(Americon), Lord Killanin 1972-1980(Irish) , Juan Antonio samaranch 1980-2001(Spanish) and Jacques Rogge2001-(Belgium)
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