Global Community
The USOPC and Team USA are part of a global community that is focused on building a better, more inclusive world through sport.
About the USOPC
The USOPC is one of only two joint National Olympic and Paralympic committees in the world to manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport at the national level—and in 2019, became the first to include the distinction in its official name and marks. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the United States.
A federally chartered nonprofit corporation, the USOPC does not receive federal financial support (other than for select Paralympic military veteran programs). Approximately 82% of the USOPC’s budget has a direct impact on its mission of supporting athletes via a variety of programs for both athletes and their National Governing Bodies. In addition to performance grants and rewards, additional support is provided in the form of training facilities, sports medicine and science, coaching education, health insurance, promotional opportunities, education and career services, outfitting and travel, and athlete safety, well-being and anti-doping programming.
Olympic Movement
The Olympic Movement is overseen by the International Olympic Committee, which is supported by 40 International Federations that govern each sport on a global level and 206 National Olympic Committees that oversee Olympic sport as a whole in each nation.
The NOCs also come together as the Association of National Olympic Committees and consist of five Continental Associations—including Panam Sports, of which the USOPC is a member. Working with their respective NOC and directly with the IFs, National Federations (called National Governing Bodies in the United States) administer each sport at the national level. In the U.S., there are 45 Olympic NGBs (37 summer, eight winter) and five Pan American NGBs (summer only).
Paralympic Movement
The Paralympic Movement is overseen by the International Paralympic Committee and is supported by 15 International Sport Federations and four International Organizations of Sports for the Disabled.
Of the 15 IFs, 11 are shared with Olympic sport and four are Paralympic-sport specific. Four sports are governed by IOSDs while the IPC directly governs eight sports. Meanwhile, more than 180 National Paralympic Committees oversee Paralympic sport as a whole in each nation, while National Governing Bodies often manage the administration of the individual sports on a national level.
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the USOPC, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic Movement and promoting excellence in the lives of people with disabilities. U.S. Paralympics directly governs six Paralympic sports, while 15 are managed by U.S. NGBs that also govern Olympic sport and five are overseen by designated High Performance Management Organizations.
International Engagement
Driven by its global purpose to build a better and more inclusive world through sport, the USOPC is committed to strengthening the worldwide Olympic and Paralympic movements by serving as a fully integrated and engaged global partner.
Americans hold more than 600 international board, executive committee, leadership and commission positions within the Olympic and Paralympic movements. Among the 2020 highlights was the election of David Haggerty, International Tennis Federation president, as a member of the International Olympic Committee and Susanne Lyons, USOPC chair, as a member of the Panam Sports Executive Committee.
International Federation highlights included the election of Dwight Bell as secretary general of the International Luge Federation, Cory Sertl as vice president of World Sailing, and Gabriela Gallegos as a member of the executive board of the International Triathlon Union. The U.S. hosted the ISU Speedskating Long Track World Championships in February 2020 and supported USA Table Tennis to secure the 2021 ITTF World Championships and Electoral Congress.
U.S. International Federation REPRESENTATION AT A GLANCE
Members
The USOPC awarded more than $135,000 to 11 NGBs through the International Relations Grant Program to support elections and bidding for important international events. To further enhance communication and education on important global issues to strengthen the contribution U.S. sport leaders have in International Federations across Olympic and Paralympic sports, the USOPC International Sport Relations Task Force was formed.
The USOPC has collaboration programs with four important regions in the Olympic Movement: Panam Sports, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, the Oceania National Olympic Committees and the Olympic Council of Asia in addition to cooperation agreements with six national Olympic Committees aimed at sharing best practices and strengthening collaboration. Initiatives included Tokyo 2020 training camps, coaching education, knowledge exchanges, webinars and management and operations consulting.
The USOPC continued its partnership with Olympic Solidarity and the University of Delaware with the 13th edition of the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program, which included the highest number of participants – 43 international coaches and four U.S. coaches. The USOPC took the opportunity in 2020 to significantly expand the content and reach of the ICECP by developing an online curriculum taught Team USA Sport Performance experts, encompassing 60 courses/hours within eight modules. To date, 389 international coaches representing 123 countries and 33 sports have participated in the program.
The USOPC continues to support visa and entry for international athletes and Olympic and Paralympic leaders traveling to the United States.
Work is also progressing on the evaluation of opportunities for a future Salt Lake, UT bid for an Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. A formal letter expressing interest was sent to IOC President Bach in November 2020.
MEMBER SPORT ORGANIZATIONS
At the USOPC, our priority remains delivering on our mission through our commitment to Team USA athletes and our partnerships with all who work to support them.
National Governing Bodies: Organizations that govern and manage all aspects of their individual sports within the United States. The NGBs are responsible for governance, training, competition and development for their sports, as well as nominating athletes to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.
In the United States, there are 37 Olympic summer sport NGBs, 8 Olympic winter sport NGBs and 5 Pan American sport NGBs, for a total of 50. Paralympic sports are managed by either the USOPC (6), NGBs that also govern Olympic sport (15) or High Performance Management Organizations (5).
SUMMER (50)
Fifteen summer sport NGBs manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport programs.
Five Pan American sport NGBs
Five Paralympic sports are managed by High Performance Management Organizations
Winter (11)
Two winter sport NGBs manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport programs.
