THE OLYMPIC ATHLETE's OATH

The OLYMPIC ATHLETE's OATH

First sworn by the Belgian athlete Victor Boin at the 1920 Games of the 7th Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium. The athlete swear on the Olympic Flag,

"We swear that we will take part in these Olympic Games in the true spirit of sportsmanship, and that we will respect and abide by the rules that govern them, for the glory of sport and the honour of our country."

To reflect the changing nature of the sporting competition, the oath has been modified and the current version was introduced in 1999. It is:

"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, 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."