The British Olympic Association

Since its creation in 1905, the British Olympic Association (BOA) has been one of the most important institutions in the field of sports governance. It speaks for Great Britain in the counsels of the international Olympic movement; it has responsibility for the participation of British athletes at the summer and winter Games; and it played a vital role in the delivery of the 1908, 1948 and 2012 Olympics, making London the only venue to have hosted the modern summer Games on three occasions. In spite of its prominence and involvement in major controversies – notably when defying the British government's wish to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics - there has hitherto been no single-volume history of the Association. This scholarly yet accessible study seeks to fill that gap, using a range of primary sources to assess the origins, evolution, strengths and shortcomings of the BOA.