The1944 Summer Olympics, officially known as theGames of the XIII Olympiad, was a planned internationalmulti-sport event scheduled to have been held from 22 July to 5 August 1944 in London, England, United Kingdom. The games were cancelled because ofWorld War II alongside the1944 Winter Olympics inCortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and were the fifth games to be cancelled due to war. However, unofficial celebrations went ahead anyway in Switzerland as well as by Polishprisoners of war held inGerman-occupied Poland.

The games eventually took place in London in1948, which later hosted the2012 Summer Olympics.

London won the bid on the first ballot in a June 1939International Olympic Committee election over Rome, Detroit, Lausanne, Athens, Budapest, Helsinki and Montreal. The selection was made at the 38th IOC Session in 1939 (London).^[1]

Due to World War II, which by then had been ongoing for four years and haddevastated London, the games were cancelled. In spite of the war, the IOC organised many events to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. Held from 17 to 19 June 1944, this celebration was referred to as "The Jubilee Celebrations of IOC" byCarl Diem, the originator of the modern tradition of theOlympic torch relay.^[2]

Polish prisoners of war in the Woldenberg (Dobiegniew)Oflag II-CPOW camp were granted permission by their German captors to stage an unofficialPOW Olympics during 23 July to 13 August 1944, and anOlympic Flag made with a bed sheet and pieces of coloured scarves was raised. The event has been considered to be a demonstration of the Olympic spirit transcending war.^[3]

• Olympic Games abandoned due to war
  • 1916 Summer Olympics
  • 1940 Summer Olympics
  • 1940 Winter Olympics
  • 1944 Summer Olympics
  • 1944 Winter Olympics
• List of IOC country codes