Christine Bower

Team GB

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) behind Team GB. As the NOC of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the BOA selects the nation's best athletes to compete in the 32 summer and eight winter Olympic sports at the greatest sporting competition in the world. The BOA was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons and at that time consisted of seven National Governing Body (NGB) members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing, athletics, rugby, football and archery.  The BOA now includes as its members the 40 NGBs of each Olympic sport, both summer and winter. Great Britain is one of only five countries to have been represented at each summer Olympic Games since 1896 and Great Britain, France and Switzerland are the only countries to have been present at all Olympic Winter Games since 1924. Great Britain has also played host to three Olympic Games, each held in London in 1908, 1948 and 2012, making our capital the only city to have staged the Games on three separate occasions - a feat to be matched by Paris in 2024. The BOA is one of 206 NOCs currently recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their role is to lead the promotion of Olympism in accordance with the Olympic Charter, which details the philosophy, aims and traditions of the Olympic Movement.