Frequently Asked Questions

Competing and being part of the Games

What does an athlete have to do to participate in the Olympic Games?

Taking part in the Olympic Games is every athlete’s dream, and requires huge amounts of determination and long years of training.

Athletes must first comply with the Olympic Charter and follow the rules of the International Federation (IF) governing their sport. The IFs establish the rules and organise qualifying events, while the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the athlete’s country supports the athlete and is responsible for entering them for the Games.

Learn more:

Olympic Charter: Chapter 5, Rules 40-44

National Olympic Committees

Olympic documents

Visit the Olympics.com documents repository to find a list of all documents published on this website. This section contains the major reports, studies, publications and information regarding the Olympic Movement.

The Olympic Studies Centre

The IOC Olympic Studies Centre is the world source of reference for Olympic knowledge. As an integral part of the IOC, we are uniquely placed to provide the most accurate, relevant and up-to-date information on Olympism.