Global Community

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).

The Paralympic Movement is overseen by the International Paralympic Committee and is supported by 17 International Federations.

Of the 17 IFs, 11 are shared with Olympic sport, four are Paralympic-sport specific and two represent particular impairment groups (the IPC directly governs eight sports). Meanwhile, 181 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 16 are managed by U.S. NGBs that also govern Olympic sport and five are overseen by designated High Performance Management Organizations.

The USOPC is one of only four organizations 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.

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 (16) or High Performance Management Organizations (5).