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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses three-letter abbreviation country codes to refer to each group of athletes that participate in the Olympic Games. Each code usually identifies a National Olympic Committee, but there are several codes that have been used for other instances in past Games, such as teams composed of athletes from multiple nations, or groups of athletes not formally representing any nation.

History[]

The 1956 Winter Olympics and 1960 Summer Olympics were the first Games to feature Initials of Nations to refer to each NOC in the published official reports. However, the codes used at the next few Games were often based on the host nation's language (e.g., GIA for Japan at the 1956 Winter Olympics and 1960 Summer Olympics, both held in Italy, from Italian Giappone) or based on the French name for the nation (e.g., COR for Korea, from Corée). By the 1972 Winter Olympics, most codes were standardized on the current usage, but several have changed in recent years. Additionally, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, division and unification of Germany, breakup of Yugoslavia, dissolution of Czechoslovakia, and several other instances of geographical renaming have all resulted in code changes.

In addition to this list of over 200 NOCs, the participation of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) at the Paralympic Games requires standardized IOC codes. namely Macau and the Faroe Islands, coded MAC and FRO respectively.

Current NOCs[]

There are 206 current NOCs (National Olympic Committees) within the Olympic Movement. The following tables show the currently used code for each NOC.

Contents: History
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVYZ
Historic teams
Code Nation Other codes used
AFG Afghanistan Afghanistan
ALB Albania Albania
ALG Algeria Algeria AGR (1964), AGL (1968)
AND Andorra Andorra
ANG Angola Angola
ANT Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda
ARG Argentina Argentina
ARM Armenia Armenia
ARU Aruba Aruba
ASA American Samoa American Samoa
AUS Australia Australia
AUT Austria Austria
AZE Azerbaijan Azerbaijan
BAH Bahamas Bahamas
BAN Bangladesh Bangladesh
BAR Barbados Barbados BAD (1964)
BDI Burundi Burundi
BEL Belgium Belgium
BEN Benin Benin DAY (1964), DAH (1968–1976) as Dahomey
BER Bermuda Bermuda
BHU Bhutan Bhutan
BIH Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina BSH (1992)
BIZ Belize Belize HBR (1968–1972)
BLR Belarus Belarus
BOL Bolivia Bolivia
BOT Botswana Botswana
BRA Brazil Brazil
BRN Bahrain Bahrain
BRU Brunei Brunei Darusalaam
BUL Bulgaria Bulgaria
BUR Burkina Faso Burkina Faso VOL (1972–1984) as Upper Volta
CAF Central African Republic Central African Republic AFC (1968)
CAM Cambodia Cambodia CAB (1964), KHM (1972)
CAN Canada Canada
CAY Cayman Islands Cayman Islands
CGO Congo Congo
CHA Chad Chad CHD (1964)
CHI Chile Chile CIL (1956W, 1960)
CHN China China PRC (1952)
CIV Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire IVC (1964), CML (1968)
CMR Cameroon Cameroon
COD Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo COK (1968), ZAI (1972–1996)
COK Cook Islands Cook Islands
COL Colombia Colombia
COM Comoros Comoros
CPV Cape Verde Cape Verde
CRC Costa Rica Costa Rica COS (1964)
CRO Croatia Croatia
CUB Cuba Cuba
CYP Cyprus Cyprus
CZE Czech Republic Czech Republic
DEN Denmark Denmark DAN (1964, 1968W), DIN (1968)
DJI Djibouti Djibouti
DMA Dominica Dominica
DOM Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
ECU Ecuador Ecuador
EGY Egypt Egypt RAU (1960, 1968), UAR (1964)
ERI Eritrea Eritrea
ESA El Salvador El Salvador SAL (1964–1976)
ESP Spain Spain SPA (1956–1964, 1968W)
EST Estonia Estonia
ETH Ethiopia Ethiopia ETI (1960, 1968)
FIJ Fiji Fiji FIG (1960)
FIN Finland Finland
FRA France France
GAB Gabon Gabon
GAM The Gambia The Gambia
GBR Great Britain Great Britain GRB (1956W–1960), GBI (1964)
GBS Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau
GEO Georgia Georgia
GEQ Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea
GER Germany Germany
GHA Ghana Ghana
GRE Greece Greece
GRN Grenada Grenada
GUA Guatemala Guatemala GUT (1964)
GUI Guinea Guinea
GUM Guam Guam
GUY Guyana Guyana GUA (1960), GUI (1964)
HAI Haiti Haiti
HKG Hong Kong Hong Kong HOK (1960–1968)
HON Honduras Honduras
HUN Hungary Hungary UNG (1956W, 1960)
INA Indonesia Indonesia INS (1960)
IND India India
IRI Iran Iran IRN (1956–1988), IRA (1968W)
IRL Ireland Ireland
IRQ Iraq Iraq IRK (1960, 1968)
ISL Iceland Iceland ICE (1960W, 1964)
ISR Israel Israel
ISV Virgin Islands Virgin Islands
ITA Italy Italy
IVB British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands
JAM Jamaica Jamaica
JOR Jordan Jordan
JPN Japan Japan GIA (1956W, 1960), JAP (1960W)
KAZ Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
KEN Kenya Kenya
KGZ Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan
KIR Kiribati Kiribati
KOR South Korea South Korea COR (1956W, 1960, 1968, 1972)
KOS Kosovo Kosovo
KSA Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia ARS (1968–1976), SAU (1980–1984)
KUW Kuwait Kuwait
LAO Laos Laos
LAT Latvia Latvia
LBA Libya Libya LYA (1964), LBY (1968W)
LBN Lebanon Lebanon LEB (1960W), LIB (1964–2016)
LBR Liberia Liberia
LCA Saint Lucia Saint Lucia
LES Lesotho Lesotho
LIE Liechtenstein Liechtenstein LIC (1956W, 1964, 1968W)
LTU Lithuania Lithuania LIT (1992W)
LUX Luxembourg Luxembourg
MAD Madagascar Madagascar MAG (1964)
MAR Morocco Morocco MRC (1964)
MAS Malaysia Malaysia MAL (1964–1988)
MAW Malawi Malawi
MDA Moldova Moldova MLD (1994)
MDV Maldives Maldives
MEX Mexico Mexico
MGL Mongolia Mongolia MON (1968)
MHL Marshall Islands Marshall Islands
MKD North Macedonia North Macedonia
MLI Mali Mali
MLT Malta Malta MAT (1960–1964)
MNE Montenegro Montenegro
MON Monaco Monaco
MOZ Mozambique Mozambique
MRI Mauritius Mauritius
MTN Mauritania Mauritania
MYA Myanmar Myanmar BIR (1948–1960, 1968–1988), BUR (1964)
NAM Namibia Namibia
NCA Nicaragua Nicaragua NCG (1964), NIC (1968)
NED Netherlands Netherlands OLA (1956W), NET (1960W), PBA (1960),
NLD (1964), HOL (1968–1988) as Holland
NEP Nepal Nepal
NGR Nigeria Nigeria NIG (1960), NGA (1964)
NIG Niger Niger NGR (1964)
NOR Norway Norway
NRU Nauru Nauru
NZL New Zealand New Zealand NZE (1960, 1968W)
OMA Oman Oman
PAK Pakistan Pakistan
PAN Panama Panama
PAR Paraguay Paraguay
PER Peru Peru
PHI Philippines Philippines FIL (1960, 1968)
PLE Palestine Palestine
PLW Palau Palau
PNG Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea NGY (1976–1980), NGU (1984–1988)
POL Poland Poland
POR Portugal Portugal
PRK North Korea North Korea NKD (1964, 1968W), CDN (1968)
PUR Puerto Rico Puerto Rico PRI (1960), PRO (1968)
QAT Qatar Qatar
ROU Romania Romania ROM (1956–1960, 1972–2006), RUM (1964–1968)
RSA South Africa South Africa SAF (1960–1972)
RUS Russia Russia
RWA Rwanda Rwanda
SAM Samoa Samoa WSM (1984–1996) as Western Samoa
SEN Senegal Senegal SGL (1964)
SEY Seychelles Seychelles
SGP Singapore Singapore SIN (1960–2016)
SKN Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis
SLE Sierra Leone Sierra Leone SLA (1968)
SLO Slovenia Slovenia
SMR San Marino San Marino SMA (1960–1964)
SOL Solomon Islands Solomon Islands
SOM Somalia Somalia
SRB Serbia Serbia
SRI Sri Lanka Sri Lanka CEY (1948–1964, 1972) as Ceylon, CEI (1968)
SSD South Sudan South Sudan IOA (Individual Olympic Athletes, 2012)
STP São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe
SUD Sudan Sudan
SUI Switzerland Switzerland SVI (1956W, 1960), SWI (1960W, 1964)
SUR Suriname Suriname
SVK Slovakia Slovakia
SWE Sweden Sweden SVE (1956W, 1960), SUE (1968)
SWZ Eswatini Eswatini
SYR Syria Syria SIR (1968)
TAN Tanzania Tanzania
TGA Tonga Tonga TON (1984)
THA Thailand Thailand
TJK Tajikistan Tajikistan
TKM Turkmenistan Turkmenistan
TLS Timor Leste Timor Leste IOA (Individual Olympic Athletes, 2000)
TOG Togo Togo
TPE Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei RCF (1956–1960), TWN (1964–1968), ROC (1972–1976)
TTO Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago TRT (1964–1968), TRI (1972–2016)
TUN Tunisia Tunisia
TUR Turkey Turkey
TUV Tuvalu Tuvalu
UAE United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
UGA Uganda Uganda
UKR Ukraine Ukraine
URU Uruguay Uruguay URG (1968)
USA United States United States SUA (1960), EUA (1968)
UZB Uzbekistan Uzbekistan
VAN Vanuatu Vanuatu
VEN Venezuela Venezuela
VIE Vietnam Vietnam VET (1964), VNM (1968–1976)
VIN Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
YEM Yemen Yemen
ZAM Zambia Zambia NRH (1964)
ZIM Zimbabwe Zimbabwe RHO (1960–1972)

Historic NOCs and teams[]

Codes still in use[]

Fourteen historical NOCs or teams have codes still used in the IOC results database[1] to refer to past medal winners from these teams.

Code Nation Other codes used
AHO Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles ATO (1960), NAN (1964)
ANZ Australasia Australasia
BOH Bohemia Bohemia
EUA United Team of Germany United Team of Germany GER (1956–1964)
EUN Unified Team Unified Team
FRG West Germany West Germany ALL (1968W), ALE (1968), GER (1972–1976)
GDR East Germany East Germany ADE (1968)
RU1 Russia Russian Empire
SAA Saarland Saarland
SCG Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro YUG (1996–2002)
TCH Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia CSL (1956W), CZE (1960W), CSV (1960), CZS (1964), CHE (1968)
URS Soviet Union Soviet Union SOV (1968W)
YUG Yugoslavia Yugoslavia JUG (1956–1960, 1968W), YUS (1964)
ZZX Mixed Team Mixed Team

Obsolete codes[]

Code Nation (NOC) Years Notes
BIR [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias BIR|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias BIR]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias BIR at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias BIR]] 1948–1988 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
CEY [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias CEY|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias CEY]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias CEY at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias CEY]] 1948–1972 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
DAH [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias DAH|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias DAH]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias DAH at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias DAH]] 1964–1976 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
HBR [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias HBR|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias HBR]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias HBR at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias HBR]] 1968–1972 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
KHM [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias KHM|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias KHM]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias KHM at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias KHM]] 1972–1976 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
NRH [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias NRH|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias NRH]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias NRH at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias NRH]] 1964 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
RAU Template:Flaglink 1960 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
and Template:FlagIOCteam
RHO [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias RHO|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias RHO]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias RHO at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias RHO]] 1960–1972 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
UAR [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias UAR|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias UAR]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias UAR at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias UAR]] 1964–1968 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
VOL [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias VOL|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias VOL]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias VOL at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias VOL]] 1972–1984 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
YAR [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias YAR|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias YAR]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias YAR at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias YAR]] 1984–1988 Competed independently prior to Yemeni unification in 1990.
Now Template:FlagIOCteam
YMD [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias YMD|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias YMD]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias YMD at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias YMD]] 1988
ZAI [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias ZAI|22x20px|border|Template:Country IOC alias ZAI]] [[wikipedia:Template:Country IOC alias ZAI at the Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias ZAI]] 1972–1996 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
 — British Guiana 1948–1964 Now Template:FlagIOCteam
 — Gold Coast 1952 Now Template:FlagIOCteam

Two other significant code changes have occurred, both because of a change in the nation's designation as used by the IOC:

  • HOL was changed to NED for the Netherlands for the 1992 Games, reflecting the change in designation from Holland.
  • IRN was changed to IRI for Iran for the 1992 Games, reflecting the change in designation to Islamic Republic of Iran.

Special codes[]

  • ANZ is now used in the IOC's medal database[1] to identify the team from Australasia, composed of athletes from both Australia and New Zealand for the 1908 and 1912 Games. By 1920, both nations competed separately.
  • EUA is now used in the IOC's medal database[1] to identify the Unified Team of Germany, composed of athletes representing the NOCs of both East Germany and West Germany for the 1956–1964 Games. At the time, the team was simply known as Germany in the official reports for those six Games.
  • EUN was used in 1992 (both Summer and Winter Games) for the Unified Team, composed of athletes from most of the ex-republics of the Soviet Union. Only the Baltic states were able to compete as independent teams in 1992; the other twelve new nations competed independently for the first time in 1994 and/or 1996.
  • IOP was used for Independent Olympic Participants in 1992, a designation used for athletes from Yugoslavia who could not compete as a team due to United Nations sanctions.
  • IOA was used for Individual Olympic Athletes in 2000, a designation used for athletes from Timor-Leste prior to the formation of its NOC. IOA will be used again in the 2012 Games. In 2012 it stands for Independent Olympic Athletes, which includes athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles and a runner from South Sudan. The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee's membership from the IOC was withdrawn the previous year, and South Sudan has not formed an NOC.
  • IOC was used as the country code for Athletes from Kuwait at the 2010 Asian Games, as the Kuwait Olympic Committee was suspended.
  • ZZX is used to identify medals won by mixed teams of athletes from multiple nations (such as the combination of France and Great Britain, for example), a situation that happened several times in the Games of 1896, 1900, and 1904.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Olympic Medal Winners. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 8 February 2008.
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