THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
At the Congress of Paris in 1894, the control and
development of the modern Olympic Games was
entrusted to the International Olympic Committee - the
IOC - with headquarters to be established in
Switzerland. Today the committee is responsible for
maintaining the regular celebration of the Olympic
Games; seeing that the Games are carried out in the spirit that
inspired their revival; and promoting the development of amateur sport throughout
the world. The original committee in 1894 consisted of 14 members in addition to
Pierre Coubertin - the leader of the movement aiming to restart the Olympic Games
of ancient Greece - and since then, membership has been self-perpetuating.
Convinced that the downfall of the ancient Olympic Games had been caused by
outside influences that undermined the spirit of the Games, Coubertin felt that the
revived Games would go the same way unless they were in the hands of people
whose concern was to keep the spirit of amateur sport alive and who were
responsible in no way to any outside influences. Thus, IOC members are regarded
as ambassadors from the IOC to their national sports organizations. They are in no
sense delegates to the committee and may not accept from the government of their
country, or from any organization or individual, any instructions that in any way affect
their independence. The IOC is a permanent organization that elects its own
members. Each member - the present membership is about 70 - must speak
French or English and be a citizen of or reside in a country that has a National
Olympic Committee. With very few exceptions, there is only one member from any
one country. Members were originally elected for life, but anyone elected after 1965
must retire at the age of 75.
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