MPPSC 2020 Prelims Q12: Where does Headquarters of The International Olympic

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2020 Prelims Q12?

B. Correct — B, Lausanne (Switzerland). The International Olympic Committee (IOC), founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin, has been headquartered in Lausanne since 1915; its purpose-built home, 'Olympic House', stands on the shore of Lake Geneva. The city is officially branded the 'Olympic Capital' and also hosts the Olympic Museum.

MPPSC 2020 Prelims Paper-I · Question 12 of 100

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

Where does Headquarters of The International Olympic Committee is situated?

(a)Vienna
(b)Lausanne
(c)Geneva
(d)Madrid

Answer

Why

Correct — B, Lausanne (Switzerland). The International Olympic Committee (IOC), founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin, has been headquartered in Lausanne since 1915; its purpose-built home, 'Olympic House', stands on the shore of Lake Geneva. The city is officially branded the 'Olympic Capital' and also hosts the Olympic Museum.

Why the others are wrong

(a)Vienna — Vienna hosts bodies such as OPEC, the IAEA and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime — not the IOC.
(c)Geneva — A tempting trap because it is also in Switzerland, but Geneva is home to the WHO, WTO, ILO and the UN Office at Geneva; the IOC sits in Lausanne, not Geneva.
(d)Madrid — Madrid hosts the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), not the IOC.

Concept

The IOC is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement — a Swiss-based non-governmental organisation that owns the rights to the Olympic Games, the rings and the motto, and selects host cities. Do not confuse the international IOC (Lausanne) with a National Olympic Committee such as the Indian Olympic Association.

Both Lausanne and Geneva are Swiss cities that host global institutions, which is exactly why Geneva is planted as a distractor. Anchor 'Olympic Capital = Lausanne' to cut through it.

Key facts

IOC founded on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne, Paris, by Pierre de Coubertin.
Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, since 1915; 'Olympic House' opened in 2019.
Lausanne is officially designated the 'Olympic Capital'.
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.

Study next

Headquarters of major sports bodies (FIFA — Zurich, WADA — Montreal, IOC — Lausanne)Olympic symbols: the five rings, the flame, and the motto 'Citius, Altius, Fortius'Pierre de Coubertin and the revival of the modern Olympics (1896)How Olympic host cities are chosenDifference between the IOC and National Olympic Committees (e.g., the Indian Olympic Association)

Common traps

Choosing Geneva instead of Lausanne — both are Swiss host cities
Confusing the IOC with the IOA (Indian Olympic Association)

Almost always a 'headquarters of ___' one-liner. Lock IOC ↔ Lausanne, the 'Olympic Capital'.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Who is regarded as the founder of the modern Olympic Games?
- (a)Avery Brundage
- (b)Pierre de Coubertin
- (c)Juan Antonio Samaranch
- (d)Thomas Bach
Answer(b) Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the IOC in 1894.
practice — not a real PYQ
The headquarters of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is located in:
- (a)Lausanne
- (b)Montreal
- (c)Geneva
- (d)Paris
Answer(b) Montreal, Canada — while WADA's founding was linked to the IOC in Lausanne, its HQ is in Montreal.