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etween the four years and this is where the Olympic movement is changing
and evolving. Another important point in item three says «the Olympic
Games take place every four years, they unite Olympic competitors of all
countries in fair and equal competition. The International Olympic Committee
shall secure the widest possible audience for the Olympic Games, no
discrimination in them is allowed against any country or person on grounds of
race, religion or politics». This is one of the most important lines in our
charter and it is one of the basic points of Baron de Coubertin's earliest
principles. So, you see that there is a difference between the Games and the
movement and it is a matter of combining these satisfactorily. The Academy,
whose standards increase from year to year, can contribute to the development
of the Olympic movement and the development of sport in the world
generally.
We have problems and, as I mentioned, the National Olympic Committees
do not have political borders. On the other hand there are slight contradictions.
Although we recognise citizens, we do not recognise sovereign States as
such and if we had followed, for instance, the United Nations in the past, at
the time of Munich there would have been no Germany or Germanies. At the
award and medal giving ceremonies the national flag is raised and the national
anthem is played. I think that we have to delete the word «national» in
front of both these and say it is the flag of the National Olympic Committee.
This has led to trouble in that some countries have two or three national
anthems, for instance, Australia, I believe, and many ex - Commonwealth
countries. We believe that it should be the choice of the people, because a
flag has very different political connotations and I believe we should not be in
upon this. There have been moves to abolish all flags. Certain sports do not
have national flags and I think they are lucky, but I must admit, although it is
my personal view that this encourages chauvinism, I think one has to realise
that the majority of the National Olympic Committees and the majority of
sports people would like to see the flag of the National Olympic Committee
of their National team flying when they score a victory. It is also a
commercial thing and I think in many countries where it is difficult to raise
money for certain international events, the mystique of Olympic Games
somehow gathers people together to subscribe to send a team. It is one of
the reasons why some of the sports which are tending more and more for
professionalism still wish to remain on the Olympic programme because an
Olympic gold medal is of greater prestige than a large cheque in one's
pocket.
Another area in which we are moving together is the relationship between
the National Olympic Committees, the Olympic movement, and Govern-
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