U.S. Olympic Committee

United States Olympic Committee

United States Olympic Committee logo
Country/Region	United States
Code	USA
Created	1894
Recognized	1894
Continental Association	PASO
Headquarters	Colorado Springs, Colorado
President	Lawrence F. Probst III
Secretary General	Scott Blackmun
Website	www.teamusa.org

U.S. Paralympics
^{a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee}

Logo
National Paralympic Committee
Country	United States
Code	USA
Recognized	2001
Continental Association	APC
Headquarters	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Website	www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics

Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is the National Olympic Committee for the United States. In addition, the USOC is one of only four NOCs in the world that also serve as the National Paralympic Committee for their country. The USOC is responsible for supporting, entering and overseeing U.S. teams for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, Pan American Games, and Parapan American Games and serves as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in the United States.

The Olympic Movement is overseen by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC is supported by 35 International Federations that govern each sport on a global level, National Olympic Committees that oversee Olympic sport as a whole in each nation, and National Federations that administer each sport at the national level (called National Governing Bodies in the United States).

Similarly, the National Paralympic Committee is the sole governing body responsible for the selection and training of all athletes participating in the Paralympic Games.

The USOC is one of 204 NOCs and 174 NPCs within the international Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Forty-seven NGBs are members of the USOC. Fifteen of the NGBs also manage sports on the Paralympic program, while the USOC governs four Paralympic sports (cycling, skiing, swimming and track & field), and five additional Paralympic sports are governed by U.S. members of International Paralympic Federations (wheelchair basketball, boccia, goalball, powerlifting and wheelchair rugby).

Unlike most other nations, the United States does not have a sports ministry. The USOC was reorganized by the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, originally enacted in 1978. It is a federally chartered nonprofit corporation and does not receive federal financial support (other than for select Paralympic military programs). Pursuant to the Act, the USOC has the exclusive right to use and authorize the use of Olympic-related marks, images and terminology in the United States. The USOC licenses that right to sponsors as a means of generating revenue in support of its mission.