Season’s Greetings

As this historic year comes to an end, we pause and reflect with gratitude and confidence. In June, Thomas Bach handed over the presidency of the International Olympic Committee to Kirsty Coventry, the first-ever female and African President, and the youngest since Pierre de Coubertin to hold this position.
 

At the OSC as well, a new chapter begins as Nuria Puig, Manager Senior for Academic Relations, steps back from her position for an early retirement after 32 years of dedicated service to the IOC and the Olympic Movement. Throughout her career, Nuria’s work and commitment were instrumental in the creation and growth of the IOC’s ties with a vibrant academic community of Olympic scholars. Her remarkable contribution deserves all our respect and appreciation, as we continue to carry this work forward with passion and dedication.  
 

Indeed, this year, the OSC has continued to strengthen its role as the global hub for Olympic knowledge. Our reach and engagement have climbed to new heights (see the end of the newsletter), which reflects not only the growing interest in Olympic knowledge but also the dedication of our team to making resources accessible and impactful.  
 

Every visit, every download and every interaction with the OSC represents someone engaging deeply with Olympic knowledge and contributes to advancing education and research on the Olympic Movement.  
 

Thank you for your interest, trust and collaboration over this last year. Your contribution is essential to fostering an informed dialogue on the IOC, the Olympic Movement and their contribution to society. Through your engagement with students and athletes, you play a vital role in ensuring that they are prepared and fit for the future.
 

We wish you a peaceful festive season and many positive and exciting adventures — academic or not — in the new year!
 

Maria Bogner and the Olympic Studies Centre team 

 

 

© International Olympic Committee

Three questions to Nuria Puig, Manager Senior for Academic Relations

Since joining the IOC in 1993, Nuria Puig has witnessed 16 editions of the Olympic Games and the remarkable growth of the Olympic Studies Centre and its network. As she prepares for early retirement at the end of the year, we sat down with her to reflect on this incredible journey. 

Read the full interview here.

 

 

International Olympic Case Study Competition

The International Olympic Case Study Competition for undergraduate and master’s students is back for its sixth edition (2026/27). This time, students will be tasked with thinking about the challenges and opportunities for the new sports included in the LA28 Olympic programme.

 

The overarching theme will be: “LA28 Olympic Games: Fuelling the long-term growth for newly added Olympic sports”.  

 

Mark your calendars: full details, including the registration process, will be available on the Olympic Studies Centre website in January.  

 

 

New Academic Olympic Studies and Research Centres

Since the beginning of 2025, 8 new university-based Olympic Studies and Research Centres (OSRCs) have joined the network, which now includes 83 centres across 28 countries on all continents. Some others have been excluded due to insufficient activity in the field of Olympic Studies.

 

To join this network, university representatives must submit a set of documents demonstrating their sustained commitment to actively engaging in the field of Olympic Studies. Find a summary of the guidelines on how centres are admitted to this network here.  

 

We warmly welcome:  

• Group of Studies and Research in Physical Education/Olympic Studies, URI Erechim, Brazil
• Institute for Olympic Studies and Research on Sport Governance, Wenzhou University, People's Republic of China
• Université de Toulon, Centre d’études et de recherches olympiques et paralympiques PELOPS (Performance Études Liens Olympiques Paralympiques Sport), France
• University of East London Olympic Studies and Research Centre, University of East London, Great Britain
• Universidad de Córdoba, Centro Universitario de Estudios e Investigación Olímpico, Spain
• Centre de Estudios e Investigación Olímpicos, Universidad Pablo de Olavide (CEIO_Olavide), Spain
• Universidad CEU San Pablo, Centro de Estudios e Investigación Olímpicos CEU San Pablo, Spain
• United States Sport University, The Centre for the Study of Olympic Sport and Culture (CSOSC), USA

The key objectives of the network are to promote collaboration and exchange among its members, to give academic OSRCs recognition for their contributions to the promotion of Olympic studies, and to enhance their visibility within the Olympic Movement. 

We invite you to consult the list of the OSRCs here, and to write to  studies.centre@olympic.org if you would like to learn more.   

 

 

 

Updated versions of the “Over 125 Years of Olympic Venues: post-Games use” report

© International Olympic Committee (IOC) / LEUTENEGGER, Catherine

New on the shelf

Nearly 1,000 new publications (including books, digital documents and articles) have been included in our library collection in 2025, now amounting to a total of 42,000 titles and 17,500 digital documents. 

 

It includes official publications from the IOC and Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, but also academic titles related to the Olympic Movement, with topics ranging from the impact of the Games to advancing physical activity and well-being, inclusion, athlete health, and sustainability, to name just a few.

 

Sign up for our email alerts on new releases so you don't miss out. 

 

 

© International Olympic Committee (IOC) / LEUTENEGGER, Catherine

Celebrating our impact

2025 has been a rich year full of engagement and collaboration for the Olympic Studies Centre team. 

 

We are proud to have:

• registered over 5 million visits to the Olympic World Library , confirming its position as the go-to resource for scholars, students and Olympic Movement professionals worldwide;
• reached 3.6 million consultations online and 400,000 downloads of publications and resources, which support academic work and knowledge dissemination across continents;
• handled over 2,400 research requests in support of content creation, policy and decision making of the IOC and the Olympic Movement stakeholders;
• welcomed over 1,300 researchers, grant-holders, students, and Olympic Movement representatives at the OSC for consultations of library and archives, research orientations, lectures and collaborative projects; and
• funded and supported a total of 11 projects for doctoral and established researchers to enrich academic reflection and contribute to IOC programmes by fostering innovative perspectives and evidence-based insights.

 

If you would like to visit us to explore our collections or learn more about our activities, please contact us at studies.centre@olympic.org.