Symbol of the Olympics is formed by a set of five colored rings (blue, black, red, yellow and green) intertwined and arranged on a white background. This image symbolizes the union of continents in favor of sport.
Also known as "Olympic Rings", the symbol of the Olympic Games of the modern era was developed by Frenchman Pierre de Frédy, better known as Pierre de Coubertin (1863 – 1937), founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Through the Olympic rings, the Lord de Coubertin wanted to represent the values of the universalism and humanism present in sport, in addition to stressing the importance of respecting the differences between nations.
It is worth remembering that at the beginning of the 20th century, several countries lived totalitarian regimes and with nationalist ideals, generating a constant climate of rivalry and instability between nations. In this context, at that time, the symbol of the Olympic Games also served as a "weapon" against hate speech and misunderstanding.
Created in 1913, but presented worldwide only in 1914, the current symbol of the Olympics does not was present at the first edition of the Olympic Games of the modern era (1896, in the city of Athens, Greece). In fact, the Olympic Rings were only used after the Stockholm Olympics in 1912, where athletes from all continents of the world participated for the first time.
Learn more about meaning of Olympic Games.
Each colored ring represents a specific continent. the colors were chosen based on the predominant color in the flags of the countries that make up a particular continent.
So, from left to right:
- Blue: Europe
- Black: Africa
- Red: America
- Yellow: Asia
- Green: Oceania
In all editions of the Olympic Games, the flag with the symbol of the Olympics is raised on a pole during the opening ceremony of the competition.
The flag remains raised throughout the event, only being collected at the end of the Games, when it is delivered to the mayor of the host city, so that it can be used again in the next edition of the Olympics.
In addition to the Olympic Rings, there are other symbols used that represent the spirit of the Olympics, such as the pets (which vary according to the host city that hosts the competition), the torch, at medals it's the motto Olympic: Citius, Altius, Fortius.
Learn more about Olympic torch.
A symbol is the visual representation of something, which can be a country or a concept. In this case, the symbol of the Olympics is the graphic representation of the sporting event that takes place every 4 years.
Learn more about the meaning of Citius, Altius, Fortius.
