OLY

Post-nominal letters for Olympians

For other uses, see Oly (disambiguation).

OLY (/ˌoʊɛlˈwaɪ/ OH-el-WY)[1] is post-nominal letters granted by the World Olympians Association (WOA) to registered athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games. The initiative was launched in 2017, and in 2022, post-nominal title PLY was introduced for Paralympic participants.[2][3]

## Overview

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In November 2017 at the 8th International Olympic Committee (IOC) International Athletes' Forum, the World Olympians Association, with the support of the IOC Athletes' Commission, announced the OLY post-nominal letters initiative. The initiative allows Olympians to use the OLY lettering on any official documentation after their name. In addition to the letters, athletes will receive a World Olympians Association certificate celebrating their achievements when they apply for the post-nominals. The initiative is open to all athletes who have competed at the games and who uphold the values and practices of the Olympic Charter and the World Olympians Association Code of Conduct. IOC president and gold-medalist fencer Thomas Bach was the first athlete to be granted use of the post-nominal initials.[2][4] Within five days, more than 1,000 Olympians had registered.[5]

WOA President Joël Bouzou 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."[6]

According to WOA's website, an OLY should bear responsibilities including "[working] to spread the spirit of Olympism" and "[representing] Olympians and the Olympic Movement in a positive and supportive manner at all times".[7]

Two and a half years after the initiative began, over 14,000 Olympians had been granted the use of the OLY post-nominal letters and "growing [the] global OLY community" remained a priority of the World Olympians Association.[8]

In 2022, the post-nominal letters PLY were introduced for athletes who have participated in the Paralympic Games.[3]

## References

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1. ^ "What is OLY". youtube.com. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
2. ^ a b "OLY post-nominal letters to honour Olympians". World Olympians Association. 11 November 2017. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
3. ^ a b Lloyd, Owen (24 February 2022). "Paralympians eligible to apply for PLY post-nominal title as first recipients named". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
4. ^ "Athletes guilty of doping or bringing sport into disrepute will be barred from "OLY" lettering, WOA reveal". insidethegames.biz. 13 November 2017. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
5. ^ "More than 1000 Olympians register for OLY". International Sports Press Association. 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
6. ^ "ATR First: A New Honor for Olympians Only". Around The Rings. 11 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
7. ^ "Register for OLY". olympians.org. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
8. ^ "Olympians and NOAs get creative to boost OLY sign ups". World Olympians Association. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.

## External links

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* Olympians.org: OLY