OLY (/ˌoʊɛlˈwaɪ/OH-el-WY)[1] arepost-nominal letters granted by theWorld Olympians Association (WOA) to registered athletes who have participated in theOlympic Games. The initiative was launched in 2017, and in 2022, post-nominal titlePLY was introduced forParalympic participants.[2][3]
In November 2017 at the 8thInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) International Athletes' Forum, the World Olympians Association, with the support of theIOC 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 of 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 theOlympic Charter and the World Olympians Association Code of Conduct. IOC president and former Olympic gold-medalist fencerThomas 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 PresidentJoël Bouzou toldAround 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]
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.[7]
In 2022, the post-nominal lettersPLY were introduced for athletes who have participated in theParalympic Games.[3]