International Olympic Day: Uniting the world through sports

During the Olympics it is much easier to break down the barriers that often keep Nations at loggerheads.

The Olympics is a rare occasion where 204 countries from around the world come together in the spirit of friendship and sporting endeavour; it is like a sporting United Nations.

During the Olympics it is much easier to break down the barriers that often keep Nations at loggerheads. Through sport, we can remember that there is much more that unites us than divides us. The Olympics represents Love between Nations.

As 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of Olympic Day, the IOC has launched a global campaign “United By”. The campaign aims to bring together stories, experiences and events of Olympism from around the world.

What is Olympism?

Olympism is more than the Olympic Games, more than the Olympians themselves partaking in the games; it’s a philosophy of life that seeks to blend sport with culture and education, for the benefit of humanity.

The main goal of Olympism is to place sport at the epicentre of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view of promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

It is about the coaches, the volunteers, the ground staff, the parents who drive the athletes to practice and perfect their crafts, the teachers, the community workers, and everything in-between the athletes; who are the people that make sport happen every day for themselves, their friends, families, and communities.

Olympism is the power of the Olympic values - Excellence, Friendship, and Respect – in every part of life to deliver a better world now, and in generations to come.

Continuing this Olympism in 2018, the IOC is launching its very first Olympism in Action Forum (OiAF) in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 5th & 6th of October, 2018.

WE ARE ALL UNITED BY OLYMPISM!