The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is one of the most important organizations in world sport and one of the most significant non-state actors in world politics. Everybody knows the Olympic Games but few are familiar with the organization and the system that has enabled the Games to go on from Olympiad to Olympiad for more than a hundred years. Jean-Loup Chappelet analyzes what makes this system work and whether it will survive in the twebty-first century considering the major changes that have taken place in sport over recent decades. Subjects covered include: a brief overview of the Olympic System the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the National Olympic Committees and the International Sports Federations the Olympic Games and their Organizing Committees major problems of the Olympic System.