International Olympic Committee

Hello from the Olympic Games! We are the International Olympic Committee. Our short name is the IOC. Our story began a long, long time ago with a person named Pierre de Coubertin. Our most important job is to bring people from all around the world together in friendship. We help them do this by playing sports at our big event, the Olympic Games.

We have two different kinds of Games for our friends to play. One kind is the Summer Olympics. This is when athletes do sports like running on a track and swimming in a big pool. The other kind is the Winter Olympics. These games happen in places with lots of snow and ice. Athletes get to do fun sports like skiing down tall mountains and skating gracefully on the ice. Athletes from many, many countries come to be part of the fun.

We have special symbols that help tell our story. Our flag is very famous. It has five colorful rings on it. The rings are all hooked together to show that everyone in the world is connected. We also have a beautiful fire called the Olympic flame. This special fire travels a very long way. It goes all the way to the city where the Games will be held, to let everyone know the fun is about to begin.

Every few years, we help a new city host the Games. Whether it is summer or winter, we love to see athletes trying their best and making new friends. Our colorful rings and our bright flame are reminders that the most important part of the Olympics is bringing the world together to celebrate peace and friendship through sports.