The Olympic Oath and Its History

There hasn't always been an Olympic Oath. The first time the Olympic Oath was used was at the Summer Olympic Games held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. David O'Connor is usually given credit for conceiving the idea of an oath, but the Olympic Oath was actually written by Ethelbert Talbot.

The Olympic Oath is taken by an athlete from the host country while he/she holds a corner of the Olympic Flag. Victor Boin, the first athlete to take the Olympic Oath, was a Belgian freestyle swimmer, water polo player, and épée fencer. He competed in the 1908, 1912, and 1920 Summer Olympics.

The oath that Victor Boin read in 1920 was:

"We swear. We will take part in the Olympic Games in a spirit of chivalry, for the honor of our country and for the glory of sport."

The Olympic Oath has gone through a few changes over the years. The oath that will be read at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, will read:

"In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

The part about doping and drugs was not added until the 2000 Summer Olympics. The word "swear" was replaced with "promise," and the word "country" was replaced by "team" early on.

Today an Olympic judge from the host country also holds a corner of the Olympic flag and reads the following oath:

"In the name of all the judges and officials, I promise that we shall officiate in these Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them in the true spirit of sportsmanship."

The Olympic judges weren't required to take an oath until the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.