Welcome to Olympic Day! What is it? What is the theme? What do people do on Olympic Day?

What is Olympic Day?

Olympic Day is a celebration of sport, health, and being together. It invites everyone around the globe to be active and move together with purpose on 23 June every year.

Participants from all over the world will commemorate the day the International Olympic Committee was founded at the Sorbonne in Paris, where Pierre de Coubertin rallied the revival of the Ancient Olympic Games on 23 June 1894.

What is the theme of the 2022 Olympic Day?

Back to the explainer!

In 2022, the theme for Olympic Day is Together, For a Peaceful World, and is accompanied by the social media hashtags #MoveForPeace and #OlympicDay.

This Olympic Day celebrates the power of sport to bring people together in peace.

Peace and sport in the Olympic Movement go back a long way, and is manifested in the Olympic Truce during each Olympic Games.

In more recent times, the International Olympic Committee also supports refugee athletes through the IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarship and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.

What do people do on Olympic Day?

National Olympic Committees are getting creative worldwide with their Olympic Day events to engage everybody – regardless of age, gender, social background or sporting ability.

Some countries have even incorporated the event into the school curriculum.

Everybody can be part of Olympic Day, and with so many people doing so many things on Olympic Day, why not join the fun?

These days, many people organise Olympic Day runs all over the world to celebrate, including one in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne, where the IOC is based.

First launched in 1987, the run was about encouraging all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to celebrate Olympic Day and promoting the practice of mass sport.

It’s been a huge success, growing from 45 participating NOCs in the first edition in 1987, to more than a hundred participating NOCs.

Why not look up your nearest Olympic Day run? Or otherwise, simply get active with your friends – or even by yourself – and #MoveForPeace.

What about on Sunday 26 June?

The eagle-eyed among you might be wondering why there are multiple events. Well handily Olympic Day actually lasts multiple days!

On Sunday 26 June, there will be a big celebration in Paris being organised around the Stade de France.

If you’re there you can try your hand at over 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Plus a host of Olympic stars will grace you with their presence. The likes of Cecilia Berder, Romain Cannone, Camilie Lacourt, Anne-Cecile Ciofani, Diandra Tchatchouang, Mehdi Marzouki, Soufyane Mehiaoui. Plus some football freestylers and local artists.

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