1994: Formalisation of Lausanne as the
“Olympic Capital”

Founded at the first Olympic Congress in Paris in 1894, the IOC is the leader of the Olympic Movement and the guardian of the Olympic Games. It acts as a catalyst for collaboration across the entire Olympic community. Discover some of the key milestones in the IOC’s history, from the first publication of the Olympic Charter in 1908 to the founding of the Executive Board in 1921 to the first ever Olympism in Action Forum in 2018.

Since the creation of the IOC in 1894, there have been nine presidents. The president is elected by the Session in a secret ballot among the IOC Members. Today, the president is elected for a term of office of eight years, renewable once for a period of four years. The current President is Thomas Bach – meet him and his predecessors here.

The first Olympic Congress took place in Paris in 1894 and resulted in the creation of the IOC. Since then, there have been 13 Congresses, the most recent of which took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009. Less formal than the IOC Session, the Olympic Congress has a consultative function and is convened by the IOC President. It is a meeting of representatives of the constituents of the Olympic Movement.