06 February 2025 – To celebrate the one-year countdown to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) is not only collecting publications related to the next edition of the Olympic Winter Games, but is also making available all publications of the Organising Committees (OCOGs) of past Olympic Games hosted in Italy, namely Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956, Rome 1960 and Torino 2006
These publications include historically rich material such as daily programmes, rules and regulations, candidatures files, official reports, athletes’ directories and many more documents that provide insight into the evolution of the Olympic Games and of Italy as a host nation.
“The publications of the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games represent an important part of the written legacy of the Games. Guaranteeing their preservation and accessibility is one of our key missions,” said Maria Bogner, Head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Olympic Studies Centre.
With over 260 publications, the collection on Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956, Rome 1960 and Torino 2006 is very comprehensive. In the run-up to Milano Cortina 2026, we know that the interest in past Games always increases, so we hope that, thanks to our digitisation efforts, people will easily find what they need. Maria Bogner, Head of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Studies Centre
The Italian Games digitisation project was undertaken as part of a larger effort to make the library collection more accessible to readers worldwide. Of the over 40,000 publications we hold, 15,500 documents are now accessible at the click of a button through the Olympic World Library for anyone interested in diving into the rich history of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement.
“Besides supporting decision- and policy-making, our services aim to promote and support education and research on topics centred around the Olympic Games, the Olympic Movement and its place in society. Acquiring the most up-to-date and relevant publications and giving people access to our unique and rare collections are important pillars of our offering,” concluded Bogner.
In anticipation of the next Summer Olympic Games, Los Angeles 2028, the OSC has also digitised documents from St Louis 1904, Lake Placid and Los Angeles 1932, Squaw Valley 1960, Lake Placid 1980, Los Angeles 1984, Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake City 2002.
About the Olympic Studies Centre
The IOC’s Olympic Studies Centre is the primary reference for Olympic knowledge. Its mission is to make this knowledge accessible to all, foster and support Olympic education, studies, and research, and provide a platform for dialogue between the academic world and the Olympic Movement.
Through its programmes and services, the OSC supports the work of all Olympic Movement stakeholders, as well as professors, researchers, students, and approximately 80 university-based Olympic Studies and Research Centres (OSRCs) worldwide.
Located next to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, the OSC is open to the public Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 to 5 p.m. Its facilities provide researchers, professionals and students with access to the International Olympic Committee’s historical archives and extensive library collection.
For more information on its services, programmes and networks, visit the website or contact the OSC.
