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The origin
The idea of creating an Olympic Studies Centre can be traced back to the reviver of the Modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who said shortly before his death: “I believe that a centre of Olympic studies would aid the preservation and progress of my work more than anything else.”
The IOC Olympic Studies Centre was created under the Antonio Samaranch presidency in 1982 with the objective to contribute to the understanding, education and studies of Olympism.
The mission
Today, as centre of reference for Olympic knowledge, our mission is to:
- collect, share and make Olympic knowledge accessible
- foster and support education, studies and research about the Olympic Movement
- offer a platform for dialogue between the academic world and the Olympic Movement
Our services and programmes
Whatever your interest in the Olympic Movement – academic or professional – we will help you find the information you need, quickly and easily. We are here to support you by:
- answering your questions on factual and historical information on the Games and the Olympic Movement. Discover our FAQ page
- providing personalised guidance to the most relevant and up-to-date resources
- giving access to our library collections via the Olympic World Library
- supporting Olympic-related academic activities and research projects (especially via our research grant programmes and International Olympic Case Study Competition).
- connecting you with our academic network and sharing relevant information and opportunities in Olympic studies. See courses and conferences and the network of Olympic Studies and Research Centres.
If you are a university professor or researcher and want to be informed about our activities and other Olympic studies initiatives organised by universities, we invite you to join our academic network by emailing us with a brief description of your academic status and your full contact details.
The Olympic Studies Centre
Villa du Centenaire
Quai d'Ouchy 1
1006 Lausanne - Switzerland
+41 21 621 6611
Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm
Except on public holidays
You don’t need an appointment to access the library and the study rooms. If you would like to consult the historical archives and/or would like to book a personalised orientation session online or onsite, please fill out our visitor request form. The orientation session will help you understand what is available in our digital and physical library and archive collections.