Australian Olympic Committee

Infobox National Olympic Committee
title =Australian Olympic Committee

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country = Australia
code = AUS
created = | recognized = 1895
association = ONOC
headquarters = Sydney, Australia
president = John Coates AC LLB
secretary general = Craig Phillips
website = http://www.olympics.com.au/

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is the National Olympic Committee in Australia for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organization that selects teams, and raises funds to send Australian competitors to Olympic events organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Background

The Australian Olympic Committee is composed of 40 member organizations consisting of national governing bodies of each sport included on the Olympic program for the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games. Each state and territory in Australia has a State Olympic Council to promote Olympic values and raise funds for the Australian Olympic teams.

The AOC President in 2005 is John Coates, with Patron in Chief being the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Quentin Bryce AC, and Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, as Patron. Coates and AOC executive members Kevan Gosper and Phil Coles are also IOC members.

The AOC executive consists of John Coates (President), Ron G Harvey (Vice President), Peter Montgomery (Vice President), Craig Phillips (Secretary General), Lynnne Beates, Helen M Brownlee, Ian Chesterman (Chef de Mission, 2006 Winter Olympic Team), J Douglas Donaghue, Nicholas Green, Michael V Wenden, Russell Withers, Tom King (Chair, Athlete's Commission) and Jacqui Cooper (Deputy Chair, Athlete's Commission).

An "Athletes' Commission", made up of 8 elected summer Olympic athletes and 2 winter Olympic athletes, advises the AOC executive on all matters pertaining to the Olympic movement from a competitor's perspective.

Funding

The AOC raises the necessary funds for the preparation, participation and recognition of members of Australia's Olympic Teams through corporate sponsorship, licensing and traditional fundraising activities. Each State Olympic Council has the task of raising funds via traditional fundraising activities. The AOC also receives an annual distribution from the Australian Olympic Foundation.

In the period 2005-2008, the total AOC funding for Olympic programs was in excess of $42 million, or an average of $10.5 million per calendar year. As would be expected, the majority of the funds were expended in 2008 during the year of the Beijing Olympics. [Australian Olympic Committee 2008 Annual Report]

In comparison, the governments of Australia spent substantially more on funding sport and recreation in Australia. In the period 2000-01, total government funding for sport and recreation activities was $2.1 billion. [Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4147.0 - Sport and Recreation Funding by Government, Australia, 2000-01]

The Commonwealth Government, through the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport, is the major funding source for elite sport in Australia. In the 2006-07 financial year, the Australian Sports Commission spent $151 million to achieve excellence in high performance sport. This included $56 million funding for the Australian Institute of Sport. [Australian Sports Commission 2008 Annual Report]

ee also

*Australian Olympic Foundation
*Australia at the Olympics
*Australian Youth Olympic Festival
*Australian Sports Commission
*Australian Institute of Sport
*Sport in Australia

References

External links

* [http://www.olympics.com.au/ Official website]
* [http://www.wintersports.com.au Australian Winter Olympic Institute]