A row has broken out between Olympians and Olympic bosses two years after athletes won a vote to keep the body that created the symbol, the World Olympians Association, independent from the International Olympic Committee.

Following the 2024 decision, the IOC said it would no longer support the WOA financially, and in May 2025, the WOA publicly defended its independence and stated that the OLY designation had been created by the WOA, not the IOC.

However, a subsequent cooperation and licensing agreement between the WOA and the IOC, only made public in January this year, accordingly to athletes, "explicitly confirms that the IOC owns the intellectual property rights to both 'OLY' and the WOA emblem".

In an open letter, the Olympians add:

"Furthermore, intellectual property registries confirm the IOC as the registered owner of the OLY trademark. Consequently, the precise chain of title, including any transfer instruments and associated payments, requires independent documentary verification."

The Olympians now want answers to questions of propriety of a symbol and the body that created it, and in an Open Letter in which they express their "profound disappointment and serious concern", they ask:

• "How did a collective mandate to safeguard our independence and assets culminate in an agreement recognizing IOC ownership over our most valuable symbol? ... and;
• "Who authorized the decision regarding the ownership ofthe OLY symbol, and under what legal and constitutional mandate?

The Olympians pose six other significant questions about how the IOC ended up owning the rights to property athletes believe represents "represents our achievements, our identity, our shared history and our lifelong connection to the Olympic Movement." They note:

"It is deeply concerning that a decision altering the status of the OLY symbol occurred without a transparent, comprehensive explanation to the global Olympian community."

Their questions also suggest that athletes who may have been present when arrangements were made with the IOC did not refer questions of propriety to the members. The Olympians behind the open letter end with a demand beyond the IOC:

"We call upon the WOA leadership to provide full disclosure of the relevant agreements, authorisations, financial arrangements and intellectual property records, together with an explanation of the decision-making process."

In an appeal for many more athletes to join efforts to discover the truth of what has happened in the dispute over the past two years, the Olympians conclude:

We are not acting against the Olympic Movement. We are standing up for the rights, dignity, independence and legacy of the Olympians who helped build it.

Our Olympic identity is not for sale.

Our legacy deserves respect.

Our voices must be heard!

In a footnote of references, the Olympians note:

• Verification note: A specific Swiss transfer record and any price paid for OLY have not yet been independently confirmed. Annual IOC financial support to WOA should not be represented as a sale price without evidence.

The Open Letter In Full:

Dear Fellow Olympians,

We, a group of concerned Olympians from different countries and generations, wish to express our profound disappointment and serious concern regarding recent developments involving the World

Olympians Association (WOA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

At the heart of our concern lies the ownership and control of the OLY symbol — one of the most significant achievements of the WOA and a powerful expression of our lifelong identity as Olympians.

What has happened?

In October 2024, an Extraordinary General Assembly was convened at the IOC headquarters to address the potential dissolution of the World Olympians Association (WOA). This initiative arose from the IOC's proposal to merge and absorb WOA operations. Ultimately, the majority voted against the proposal, preserving the association's independence from the IOC.

Following this decision, the IOC stated that it will no longer support the WOA financially.

In May 2025, the WOA publicly defended its independence and stated that the OLY designation had been created by the WOA, not the IOC.

However, the subsequent cooperation and licensing agreement between the WOA and the IOC - publicly disclosed only in January 2026 - explicitly confirms that the IOC owns the intellectual property rights to both 'OLY' and the WOA emblem.

Furthermore, intellectual property registries confirm the IOC as the registered owner of the OLY trademark. Consequently, the precise chain of title, including any transfer instruments and associated payments, requires independent documentary verification.

How did a collective mandate to safeguard our independence and assets culminate in an agreement recognizing IOC ownership over our most valuable symbol?

Serious questions remain unanswered:

The central question of this legal dispute is: who authorized the decision regarding the ownership of the OLY symbol, and under what legal and constitutional mandate?

With this central issue established, several other key questions arise:

1. Were the WOA Executive Committee, the NOAs, and their members properly informed and consulted?
2. What were the exact financial terms and considerations associated with this agreement?
3. Was any payment made for the transfer or recognition of ownership, and if so, how much?
4. Were non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or confidentiality clauses imposed on those involved in the negotiations?
5. How can this decision be reconciled with the position expressed by the WOA Extraordinary General Assembly in October 2024?
6. What safeguards remain to protect Olympians' rights to use the OLY designation in the future?

Our position

We believe that decisions affecting the identity, heritage and collective interests of Olympians must never be made without transparency, accountability and appropriate representation.

It is deeply concerning that a decision altering the status of the OLY symbol occurred without a transparent, comprehensive explanation to the global Olympian community.

The OLY symbol is more than a trademark. It represents our achievements, our identity, our shared history and our lifelong connection to the Olympic Movement.

Our immediate call to action

We call upon the WOA leadership to provide full disclosure of the relevant agreements, authorisations, financial arrangements and intellectual property records, together with an explanation of the decision-making process.

We also call for an independent legal assessment of the validity and implications of the arrangements concerning the OLY symbol.

This preliminary statement is intended to inform Olympians worldwide, raise awareness and encourage open discussion.

It will be followed by a formal collective declaration, which we hope will receive the support of the largest possible number of living Olympians, through National Olympians Associations, direct networks and other communication channels.

We are not acting against the Olympic Movement. We are standing up for the rights, dignity, independence and legacy of the Olympians who helped build it.

Our Olympic identity is not for sale.

Our legacy deserves respect.

Our voices must be heard!

Signed by a group of Concerned Olympians Worldwide - November 2026 —

[Preliminary Statement for International Circulation]

Reference documents:

• WOA Officers’ Letter, 14 May 2025

• IOC–WOA Joint Declaration, January 2026:

• Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, Swissreg

• Verification note: A specific Swiss transfer record and any price paid for OLY have not yet been independently confirmed. Annual IOC financial support to WOA should not be represented as a sale price without evidence.