OLY

OLY (Olympian) are post-nominal letters granted to athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games. The post-nominals are an honour designated to represent the special achievement of competing in the Olympic Games.[1]

The OLY initiative was introduced by the World Olympians Association (WOA) at the 8th International IOC Athletes Forum held on 11 November 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The first Olympian to formally receive the honor was IOC President Thomas Bach, an Olympic fencer from Germany. Within five days, more than 1,000 Olympians had registered.[2]

As part of the initiative, any athlete who participated at a Summer or Winter Olympic Games may register to receive an official letter granting him or her the use of the post-nominal OLY in official documentation, as well as social media and curriculum vitae.[2] According to the WOA, the post-nominals serve as symbolic recognition of special status reserved for Olympians in society. WOA President Joël Bouzou OLY told Around the Rings: "It's time to recognize becoming an Olympian is like becoming a PhD. It takes 10 years. You learn about perseverance, you learn about equity, fair play. You are an example of this for society at large."[3]

References

  1. ↑ "OLY post-nominal letters to honour Olympians". World Olympians Association. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 "More than 1000 Olympians register for OLY". International Sports Press Association. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "ATR First: A New Honor for Olympians Only". Around The Rings. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.


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