Olympic Capital

The city of Lausanne symbolizes the spirit and values of Olympism to such an extent that it was named Olympic Capital in 1994. Since then, the city has been home to the main institutions of the Olympic Movement, as well as to some 50 international sports federations and organizations.

“The Olympic spirit will find in the independent and proud atmosphere of Lausanne the guarantee of freedom it needs to progress”.

So declared Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1915, when he chose Lausanne and the shores of Lake Geneva as the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). If Juan Antonio Samaranch offered Lausanne this title in 1994, it was precisely because he considered that in order to universally embody the values it defended, the Olympic Movement needed a clear territorial expression and a place identified by all as the receptacle of these values.

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30 years ago, on 23 June 1994, the City of Lausanne was officially awarded the unique status of “Olympic Capital” by the IOC, an important milestone in the city’s history. Since then, Lausanne has continued to strengthen its position as a centre for the governance of international sport and to develop dynamic public policies ranging from elite sport to sport for all. The city has also hosted many major events, such as the World Gymnaestrada, the Youth Olympic Games, the Tour de France and numerous world and European championships.