The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) behind Team GB.

As the NOC of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the BOA selects the nation’s best athletes to compete in the 32 summer and eight winter Olympic sports at the greatest sporting competition in the world.

The BOA was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons and at that time consisted of seven National Governing Body (NGB) members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing, athletics, rugby, football and archery.

The BOA now includes as its members the 40 NGBs of each Olympic sport, both summer and winter. Great Britain is one of only five countries to have been represented at each summer Olympic Games since 1896 and Great Britain, France and Switzerland are the only countries to have been present at all Olympic Winter Games since 1924. Great Britain has also played host to three Olympic Games, each held in London in 1908, 1948 and 2012, making our capital the only city to have staged the Games on three separate occasions – a feat to be matched by Paris in 2024.

The BOA is one of 206 NOCs currently recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their role is to lead the promotion of Olympism in accordance with the Olympic Charter, which details the philosophy, aims and traditions of the Olympic Movement.

OUR ROLE

The BOA has two principal roles. Firstly, to prepare and lead our nation’s finest competitors at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games. Working with the NGBs, the BOA selects ‘Team GB’ from the best athletes who will go on to compete in the 32 summer and eight winter Olympic sports at the greatest sporting competition in the world. Secondly, the BOA seeks to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement within the UK in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Values of friendship, excellence and respect. The BOA is independent, privately funded and receives no annual funding from the lottery or government and has no political interests. The success of our mission is entirely dependent upon the income we receive from our fundraising and events and, as a result, is the strong, independent voice for British Olympic Sport.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to is to unite and inspire the nation through the power of Olympic sport. Athletes are always at the heart of everything we do. Their stories – who they are, what drives them, their achievements – represent us all. They are everyday people achieving extraordinary things every day, and we want to bring the nation together behind them and help inspire others to find their own extraordinary.