Switzerland’s Century-Long Rise as the Hub of Global Sport Administration

Abstract

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set up its headquarters in Lausanne, in 1915, it could not have imagined the impact its decision would have on the administration of world sport. Three-quarters of Olympic sport’s world governing bodies have now followed the IOC’s lead and based themselves in Switzerland, thereby making the country the hub of global sport administration. The process that gave rise to this situation can be divided into seven main stages. It was driven by a number of key figures, including IOC and international sport federation presidents and general secretaries, and facilitated by the attractive legal, economic, and socio-political environment sport organizations find in Switzerland. This process is on-going and continues to influence the world sports market.