The Olympic Studies Centre
Your source of reference for Olympic knowledge
As world source of reference for Olympic knowledge, the mission of the IOC Olympic Studies Centre is to ensure that this knowledge is permanently enriched and made accessible.
Through our programmes and services, we support the work of the Olympic Movement but also foster Olympic education, teaching and research among professors, researchers, students and about 50 academic Olympic Studies and Research Centres (OSRCs) around the world.
As part of the IOC, we are uniquely placed to collect and share the most up-to-date and accurate information on Olympism.
Our unique resources cover all the key themes related to the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement and their place within society, and include the IOC historical archives, the official publications of the IOC and the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games as well as academic books, articles and journals.
The origins of The Oympic Studies Centre
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 finally created under the Juan Antonio Samaranch presidency in 1982 with the objective to contribute to the understanding, education and studies of Olympism.
Contact and useful links
Phone: +41 21 621 6611
Email: studies.centre@olympic.org
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Address:
The Olympic Studies Centre
Villa du Centenaire
Quai d'Ouchy 1
1006 Lausanne
Switzerland
We’re open Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm, except on public holidays and at Christmas. 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.
