International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the organization that oversees the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The IOC approves the sports and events to be included in the Olympics and determines what city will host the games by a majority vote of its members. The IOC has headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Although the IOC oversees the Olympics, it does not actually run the games. The responsibility for operating the competitions themselves lies with the international federations of each sport. For example, World Aquatics conducts swimming events, and the International Skating Union runs the skating competitions. The host city handles such responsibilities as security, the housing of athletes, and the creation and operation of sports facilities.
In 1998, investigators found that IOC members had traded their votes for money and favors from potential host cities. The IOC responded to the scandal with a series of reforms, including restrictions on visits to host cities and the addition of active athletes to the IOC.
The IOC was created in 1894. The most influential founding member of the IOC was Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France, who served as the IOC president from 1896 to 1925.
See also Olympic Games (The International Olympic Committee).
