British Olympic Association

Last updated

British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association logo.svg
Country/RegionFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Code GBR
Created1905
Recognized1905
Continental
Association
EOC
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
President HRH The Princess Royal
Website www.teamgb.com
NotesAlso includes the following territories and dependencies:

Flag of Guernsey.svg  Guernsey
Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey
Flag of the Isle of Man.svg  Isle of Man
Flag of Anguilla.svg  Anguilla
Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg  Falkland Islands
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar
Flag of Montserrat.svg  Montserrat
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg  Pitcairn Islands
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Contents

Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg  Turks and Caicos Islands

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. However it is almost unique in that its teams also incorporate representatives from other British dependent territories, who do not have their own separate Olympics teams, but which also excludes some UK citizens from Northern Ireland due to internal governing body territories in sports such as rugby, tennis and field hockey. Founded in 1905, it is responsible for organising and overseeing the participation of athletes from the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team, at both the summer and winter Olympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games, the European Youth Olympic Festivals, and at the European Games.

BOA members and sporting bodies

The British Olympic Association – of the United Kingdom comprising its constituent countries, the Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories which do not have their own NOC – competes at all summer, winter and youth Olympics as Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (" Team GB ").

Members

The association comprises members from the following countries:

Note – Northern Irish athletes can choose whether to compete for Great Britain and Northern Ireland or for the Republic of Ireland, as they are entitled to citizenship of either nation under the Good Friday Agreement. However in a number of sports, including hockey, tennis and rugby sevens, Northern Irish athletes are de facto disbarred from representing the UK because the designated federation only selects from those players who are from the island of Great Britain.

Crown Dependencies :

British Overseas Territories :

Note – IOC rules currently do not allow dependent territories to obtain recognition for National Olympic Committees (NOCs). Three British Overseas Territories have their own NOCs predating this rule and are therefore not connected with the BOA: Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. While the territories of British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are nominally represented by the BOA, these territories have no permanent population and do not send athletes.

Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories athletes for Team GB

Among Crown Dependencies and current-day Overseas Territories, only a few have been represented on Team GB since 1930 (The year of the first Commonwealth Games) while retaining citizenship of, and (if the sport is held) Commonwealth Games eligibility for their territories. These include:

Some more have participated in Team GB after switching eligibility mid-career from their territories to England before the Olympic Games, including:

  • Shara Proctor (represented Anguilla until 2011, entered the Olympic Games in 2016)
  • Delano Williams (represented Turks and Caicos Islands until 2012, entered the Olympic Games in 2016)

British sports bodies associated with the BOA

Role

The BOA is one of 206 National Committees (NOCs) currently recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC leads the promotion of Olympism in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

Working with the national governing bodies of each sport, the BOA selects Team GB's members to compete in all sports at the summer and winter Olympics. The BOA is independent and receives no funding from the government. Its income comes from fundraising and events.

Great Britain & Northern Ireland is one of only five National Olympic Committees (the others being Australia, France, Greece and Switzerland) which have never failed to be represented at the Summer Olympic Games since 1896. Of these countries GB&NI, France and Switzerland are the only countries to have been present at all Olympic Winter Games; thus Great Britain & Northern Ireland is one of three countries that have competed at all Olympic Games. Great Britain is also the only team in the Olympic Games to have won a gold in every Summer games. The United Kingdom has hosted three Olympic Games, all of them in London: in 1908, 1948 and 2012.

Structure

At its formation in 1905 the association consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing, athletics, rugby football, association football, and archery. It now includes as its members the thirty-three national governing bodies of each Olympic sport, both summer and winter.

A representative of each of the Olympic sports makes up the NOC, the BOA's decision and policy-making body. The NOC elects three officers: a President, a Chairman, and a Vice-Chairman, each for a four-year term. Six members of the NOC are elected to the Board, which oversees the work of the BOA and puts forward proposals for decision by the NOC. The present (2022) chief office holders are:

Former Chairmen

Founding

The BOA's origins pre-date the International Olympic movement and its governing body, the International Olympic Committee.

It traces its roots back to the National Olympian Association (NOA), which held its inaugural meeting at the Liverpool Gymnasium, Myrtle Street, Liverpool in November 1865. It promoted an annual series of sporting events across Britain, with the aim of encouraging participation in physical education through Olympian festivals. The NOA came about mainly through the efforts of John Hulley of Liverpool (Chairman), Dr William Penny Brookes (of Much Wenlock) and E G Ravenstein (president of the German Gymnastic Society of London). [3] It took the existing Olympian Games of Much Wenlock as its example, thus the NOA Games "were open to all comers" and not just the products of Britain's public schools.

After the NOA closed in 1883 its motto ('Civium virtus civitatis tutamen' meaning 'the power of the citizens is the defence of the state') and ethos were inherited by the National Physical Recreation Society (NPRS) which was founded in 1885. From 1902 the President and Treasurer of the NPRS were members of the Olympic "Comité Britannique" and the NPRS was a founding body of the British Olympic Association in 1905. [4]

Arms

Coat of arms of British Olympic Association
BOA BPA Coat of Arms.svg
Notes
[5]
Adopted
27 April 2016
Crest
On a Helm with a Wreath Argent, Gules and Azure: Within a Coronet comprising a Rim set with six Batons erect Or between Roundels alternately of Silver Gold and Bronze proper a Lion statant guardant Gules crowned with a Laurel Wreath the dexter forepaw raised and holding a Torch enflamed Or.
Escutcheon
Quarterly Gules and Azure two Leeks in pale that in base reversed and conjoined at the fess point to two Thistles in fess two Roses in bend and two Flax Flowers in bend sinister all with heads outwards and slipped and leaved Or the whole enfiling four Links of Chain interlaced in a square Argent.
Supporters
On either side a Lion guardant that on the dexter Azure that on the sinister Gules each crowned with a Laurel Wreath and holding in the exterior forepaw a Torch enflamed Or both upon a Compartment comprising a Grassy Mount Vert.
Motto
IUNCTI IN UNO

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Football Association</span> Governing body of association football in England

The Football Association is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Cycling</span> Governing body for cycling sport in Great Britain

British Cycling is the main national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Britain at the world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and selects national teams, including the Great Britain (GB) Cycling Team for races in Britain and abroad. As of 2020, it has a total membership of 165,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Olympic Committee</span> National constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games. They may nominate cities within their respective areas as candidates for future Olympic Games. NOCs also promote the development of athletes and the training of coaches and officials at a national level within their geographies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cricket at the Summer Olympics</span> Cricket at the Olympics

Cricket has been part of the Summer Olympics program. The only time it has been played was at the 1900 Summer Olympics with only a men's contest, won by Great Britain. It is scheduled to be included again in 2028.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminology of the British Isles</span> Overview of the terminology of the British Isles

The terminology of the British Isles refers to the words and phrases that are used to describe the geographical and political areas of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland and the smaller islands which surround them. The terms are often a source of confusion, partly owing to the similarity between some of the actual words used but also because they are often used loosely. Many of the words carry geographical and political connotations which are affected by the history of the islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team GB</span> Brand for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team

Team GB is the brand name used since 1999 by the British Olympic Association (BOA) for their British Olympic team. The brand was developed after the nation's poor performance in the 1996 Summer Olympics, and is now a trademark of the BOA. It is meant to unify the team as one body, irrespective of each member athlete's particular sport. Officially, the team is the "Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team", although athletes from Northern Ireland, depending on the sport, are either forced or may opt to compete under the auspices of the Olympic Federation of Ireland instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United Kingdom has been represented at every modern Olympic Games, and as of the 2020 Summer Olympics is third in the all-time Summer Olympic medal table by both number of gold medals won and overall number of medals. London has hosted the Summer Olympic Games three times: in 1908, 1948, and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ireland at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

A team representing Republic of Ireland as an independent state or polity has competed at the Summer Olympic Games since 1924, and at the Winter Olympic Games since 1992. The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) was formed in 1922 during the provisional administration prior to the formal establishment of the Irish Free State. The OFI affiliated to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in time for the Paris games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympic Federation of Ireland</span> National Olympic Committee for the island of Ireland (formerly Olympic Council of Ireland)

The Olympic Federation of Ireland or OFI is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ireland. Athletes from Northern Ireland have the option of participating under its auspices or in the Great Britain Olympic Team. Its mission statement is "To manage and enhance the performance of Team Ireland at Olympic Games whilst developing the Olympic Movement in Ireland." In 2018 the Olympic Council of Ireland was renamed as the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

Rugby union is a popular sport in the British Isles, including England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The game was arguably invented in 1823 by William Webb Ellis, and in 1871 the English Rugby Football Union was the first national rugby football union to be founded. It is organised separately in each of these countries, and also on an all-Ireland basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Great Britain, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every modern Summer Olympic Games since 1896. The delegation of 547 people included 311 competitors – 168 men, 143 women – and 236 officials. The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom including Northern Ireland. Additionally some British overseas territories compete separately from Britain in Olympic competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Guernsey</span>

Guernsey participates in its own right in the Commonwealth Games.

Benjamin Robert Hawes is a former English field hockey player, a 3xOlympian who played for the English and the British national team in midfield or as a halfback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shara Proctor</span> British jumper (born 1988)

Shara Proctor is a British former long jumper born in Anguilla. She is the national record holder of both Anguilla and Great Britain. On 28 August 2015 at the World Championships in Beijing she became the first British, female, long-jumper to jump over 7 metres (7.07), setting a new British record and earning a world championship silver medal in the process. She also won the 2013 IAAF Diamond League in the event. Her younger sister is the Anguillan sprinter Shinelle Proctor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Triathlon Federation</span>

The British Triathlon Federation is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon and associated multisport in Great Britain. It administers triathlon in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Britain at the world body, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and the regional body the European Triathlon Union (ETU). The BTF also selects athletes to represent the national team, at races such as the world triathlon series and the Olympic games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012 as the host nation and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. British athletes have competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, alongside Australia, France and Greece, though Great Britain is the only one to have won at least one gold medal at all of them. London is the first city to host the Summer Olympics on three different occasions, having previously done so in 1908 and 1948. Soon, it will be joined by Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028 in hosting the Olympic Games for a third time. Team GB, organised by BOA, sent a total of 541 athletes, 279 men and 262 women, to the Games, and won automatic qualification places in all 26 sports.

The Anguilla Amateur Athletic Federation (AAAF) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Anguilla. Current president is Lorna Rogers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2014 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Great Britain, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. The British team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom including Northern Ireland, whose athletes may have elected to hold Irish citizenship, allowing them to represent either Great Britain or Ireland. Additionally some British overseas territories competed separately from Britain in Olympic competition. A total of 56 athletes competed in 11 sports making it the biggest contingent that Great Britain had sent to a Winter Olympic Games for twenty-six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Great Britain, or in full Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016 and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. British athletes have appeared in every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era, alongside Australia, France, Greece, and Switzerland, though Great Britain is the only country to have won at least one gold medal at all of them. The team represented the United Kingdom, the three Crown Dependencies, and the thirteen British Overseas Territories, ten of whom sent representatives.

Skateboard GB is the governing body for skateboarding in the UK and represents the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the National Olympic Committee.

References

  1. "Sir Hugh Robertson Elected As Chairman Of The British Olympic Association". British Olympic Association. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  2. "Annamarie Phelps CBE has become Vice-Chair of the British Olympic Association". British Olympic Association. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  3. The Liverpool Mercury, 7 November 1865
  4. National Olympian Association, The John Hulley Memorial Fund
  5. "'The Team GB coat of arms'". Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.