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Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony

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  • The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron IOC President

    IOC President Bach welcomed by French President Macron in Paris

  • Paris 2024 ramps up pace for the final sprint of preparations as engagement grows ahead of one-year-to-go mark Paris 2024

    Paris 2024 ramps up pace for final sprint of preparations as engagement grows ahead of one-year to-go mark

  • Paris 2024 artistic posters Paris 2024

    Paris 2024 unveils artistic posters as vibrant Cultural Olympiad programme revealed

  • Paris 2024 Paris 2024

    Growing excitement for Paris 2024 as Organising Committee confirm 6.8 million tickets sold so far

  • Paris 2024

    For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Olympic fans can now access special hospitality packages for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony

  • Paris 2024 Paris 2024

    Second phase sees more than one million Paris 2024 tickets sold in first 48 hours

  • Milano Cortina 2026 Milano Cortina 2026

    Local youth help Milano Cortina 2026 mark 1,000 days to go until the Olympic Winter Games

  • Milano Cortina 2026 Milano Cortina 2026

    Milano Cortina 2026: Organising Committee advances preparations as 1,000-days-to-go milestone approaches

  • Paris 2024

    Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic triathlon route revealed

  • IOC President Thomas Bach with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Milano Cortina 2026

    IOC President meets Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and visits Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee

  • His Holiness Pope Francis received IOC President Thomas Bach for a private audience Paris 2024

    IOC President welcomes message from His Holiness Pope Francis that the Olympic Games Paris 2024 can “unite the whole world”

  • Paris 2024 Paris 2024

    More than one million students from 8,000 schools participate in France’s Olympic and Paralympic Week

Overview

The modern Olympic Games are the world’s foremost multi-sports event.

They are the largest sporting celebration in terms of the number of sports on the programme, the number of athletes present and the number of people from different nations gathered together at the same time, in the same place, in the spirit of friendly competition.

Organised every four years, they include a summer and a winter edition. Athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Olympic Refugee Team are eligible to compete in a wide range of sporting disciplines and events, watched by a worldwide audience.

The first edition of the modern Olympic Games was staged in Athens, Greece, in 1896, while the first winter edition was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Since 1994, the Olympic Games have alternated between a summer and winter edition every two years within the four-year period of each Olympiad.

Upcoming Games

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Olympic Legacy
Seoul 1988 Olympic Park
Olympic legacy includes the long-term benefits that the Olympic Games create for the host city, its people, and the Olympic Movement before, during and long after the Olympic Games. Find out more about our strategic approach to Olympic legacy!
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Olympic volunteers
It is often said that it is the volunteers who “make the Games”. Early on, the organising committees of the Olympic Games launch programmes allowing tens of thousands of people from all backgrounds to ensure the smooth running of the Games. 
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Past Games

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Youth Olympic Games

Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games are aimed at bringing together talented young athletes aged from 15 to 18 from around the world. The sports programme is mainly based on that of the Olympic Games. In addition, it includes exciting new sports, disciplines and formats.

Away from the field of play, the education programme uses a variety of fun and interactive activities, workshops and team-building exercises to give the participating athletes the opportunity to learn about the Olympic values, explore other cultures, develop the skills to become true ambassadors of their sport, and improve their training methods and performance.

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Gangwon 2024

The fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024 will be held in Gangwon province in the cities of Pyeongchang and Gangneung (Republic of Korea), home to the Olympic Winter Games 2018.

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Olympics.com

Get all the latest action and information from the Olympic World and the upcoming Olympic Games! Relive past Games, meet your favourite athletes, discover the Olympic sports and get personalised information directly delivered to you!
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