Maybe it's Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps or Lindsey Vonn
or maybe it's Cathy Freeman, Seb Coe or Nadia Comaneci.
We all know the Olympic Games, right?
Every four years the world comes together
more than 200 countries. And the best athletes compete for a medal
and we're all watching.
But have you ever wondered what's behind the Games?
How is it all organized? Who puts it all together?
And yes, who pays for it?
Well, most of us know it all began a long time ago
three thousand years ago to be precise, in ancient Greece.
But someone, Pierre de Coubertin had the bright idea to bring it all back
and to do that he set up the International Olympic Committee,
a little over a hundred years ago.
But the IOC couldn't do it all alone and still can't.
They need a little help from their friends.
So, who does what?
Each of the sports that takes part in the Olympic Games
has an International Federation that runs the sport all year round
from rules, to referees, to records, that's their job
And then there are the more than 200 National Olympic Committees around the world
Their job is to select the best athletes
and get them ready for the Games
So, we've got the sports and we've got the athletes
and we can get them to the games but then there's the host city
which brings the whole thing to life and that's a big job and that's a long job.
7 years from the moment the IOC chooses the host city
until the moment the cauldron is lit and the games begin
think about all the things that need to be done to make the games happen.
Not just the stadiums, the pools, the ski slopes...
But where the athletes going to stay? What are they going to eat?
And how are they going to get to their events?
That's what the Organizing Committee does.
It's a very big job and it takes all those seven years
working with the IOC to get it done.
Sometimes it could be a bumpy journey.
In the Summer, there are 10,500 athletes competing at 28 sports.
And they have coaches, doctors, trainers friends and family.
In the Winter, it's about 2,500 athletes and seven sports,
And they need a lot of people to.
And think about the equipment several hundred pairs of skis in the Winter,
in the Summer the Equestrian athletes need their horses and the rowers need their boats
They've all got to be delivered to the right place at the right time
in good condition, specially the horses
OK, so it's a big task that's for sure.
And someone has to pay for it.
So, where does the money come from?
A large part comes from broadcast rights
Broadcasters pay to air the Games in their country.
More than half the world's population watched
at least some of London 2012
And we also partner with some of the world's leading companies
who provide funding for the Games
and the more than 200 Olympic teams and their athletes
They also supply products and expertise that help the Games run smoothly.
So, the Games are paid for mainly by the IOC and the Organizing Committee.
The government sometimes take the opportunity of the Games to build or
improve roads, or airports or housing.
That can also leave a lasting benefit for the city.
But you're probably wondering: what happens to the money that's left over?
And what goes on between the Games?
The good news is that the money that's left goes back into sport.
More than ninety percent is redistributed to sport around the world
Not just to help the Olympic Games but to develop sport.
After all the Olympics is about using sport to make the world a better place.
Some of the money goes in scholarships to help fund athletes in their training
It might help pay for a coach for promising sprinter,
or provide transportation for a skater to get to the Games
And we fund sport where you play too.
We support your National Olympic Committee and local sports groups
and we work with other groups like the United Nations to bring sport
equipment and kit to schools and local clubs.
We spend a lot of time contributing to building a better world through sport.
For example there's the Youth Olympic Games
helping young athletes to live the Olympic dream and its values
And we use events like Olympic Day, June 23rd
to try to get you to do sport
We want the world to get active and live a healthy lifestyle.
And we want to ensure women get the same access to sport as men
At the Olympics all sports are now open to women
And every single nation has now sent women to the Games
We also want to make sure the competition is fair.
So we support the athletes and the fight against doping.
And then finally when it's all over and an athlete has run his last race or swam for last link
The IOC also works to try to help them get jobs
When you've spent your whole young life committed to excellence in sport
sometimes you forget about your future and that's where we lend a helping hand
So, we all love the Olympic Games,
but the Olympics is about more than just two weeks every four years
We work all year round using sport to make the world a better place
To find out more have a look at our website: Olympic.org