FAQ

What is the Olympic Oath?

The Olympic Oath is one of the rituals of the Olympic Games. It is taken by an athlete from the host country, on behalf of all the athletes.

"In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams".

The first Athletes’ Oath was taken at the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920 by Victor Boin, a Belgian fencer. His exact words were: “In the name of all competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of the sport and the honour of our teams.”

The modern oath, mentioning doping and drugs, was first introduced in the 1999 December Olympic Charter and first pronounced that way during the opening ceremony in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Since 1972, a referee has taken an oath on behalf of all the referees and officials.

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