Lithuanian National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committee of Lithuania
Country/Region	Lithuania
Code	LTU
Created	1924
Recognized	1924 (officially restored: November 1991)
Continental; Association	EOC
Headquarters	Vilnius, Lithuania
President	Daina Gudzinevičiūtė
Secretary General	Valentinas Paketūras
Website	http://www.ltok.lt

The National Olympic Committee of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos tautinis olimpinis komitetas, LTOK) is the National Olympic Committee representing Lithuania.

History

Lithuania's national Olympic committee was established and recognized in 1924. In the same year LTOK sent its first delegation to the 1924 Summer Olympics. During Soviet Union occupation time LTOK was disestablished. At 1988 movement for freedom times there was offered to restore national committee. On October 10, 1988 LSSR physical education and sport organization created a special group to reestablish National Olympic Committee of Lithuania. Group chairman become Artūras Poviliūnas. At same year December 11 in Vilnius was held delegates session in which LTOK was restored, and Artūras Poviliūnas was elected its president. LTOK delegates on February 15, 1990 in Lausanne met IOC spokesman. Following the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania on March 11, the republic withdrew its athletes from all Soviet national competitions.^[1] Lithuania attempted to first compete on its own at the 1990 Goodwill Games that would be contested from July to August, but the request was rejected and an attempt to make the athletes wear carry the republic's flag during welcoming ceremonies and wear patches on their Soviet uniforms bearing the Lithuanian insignia was not accepted by the LTOK.^[2] Only four Lithuanian athletes accepted to play for the USSR at the Goodwill Games.^[3]

In a 1991 IOC meeting at Berlin, the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania was officially recognized. Lithuania was along with Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia part of the first former United Republic to participate as independent countries.

Participating incidents

In the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Lithuania did not participate due to economic difficulties and political controversies surrounding the National Olympic Committee.
In the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Lithuania was not invited by Nazi Germany due to the Klaipėda/Memelland region controversy.