We explain what the Olympic rings are, what they mean, and where they come from. We also tell you the legend of the Olympic stone. Please read other MTV articles for more information. If you share it, it will be of little help to us.
What are the Olympic rings?
The Olympic rings, or Olympic rings, are the main symbol of the Olympic Games, the most important international sporting event in the modern world. They consist of five interlocking circles of the same size and different colors: blue, yellow, black, green, and red, arranged in that order from left to right. On the Olympic flag, these rings are featured on a white background.
The five Olympic rings represent the five continents. The colors of the rings, plus the white background of the flag, represent the colors present in the flags of all the countries participating in the Olympic Games at the time this design was created, at the beginning of the 20th century. In other words, every national flag contained at least one of these colors, and the five rings together symbolized the unity of countries and the meeting of athletes from different parts of the world.
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Since then, the intertwined rings have represented unity, brotherhood, and communion among the nations of the five continents. They also symbolize these nations’ adoption of the essential Olympic values: the promotion of physical and mental abilities, the promotion of sport, teamwork, and the right of all people to participate without any discrimination.
The Olympic rings appear on the flag and on Olympic medals, on posters and advertisements, on souvenirs, in stamps, and on all items associated with this major international sporting event. Along with the Olympic flame, it is one of the two most important symbols of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Games, also known as the Olympiads, are the most important sporting event in the modern world. They are held every four years and bring together athletes from around the world to compete in different disciplines and formats.
What are the Olympic Games?
Origin and History of the Olympic Rings
The Olympic rings symbol was created in 1913 by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), one of the founders of the modern Olympic Games.
According to some historians, it may have been inspired by the emblem of the Union of French Athletic Sports Societies (Union des sociétés françaises de sports athlétiques), which represented two intertwined rings as a symbol of unity between the different sports societies.
In a 1913 interview, Coubertin explained that the intertwined rings represented the five continents united by Olympism. He also noted that the selection of colors came from the flags of the nations participating in the Olympic Games at that time, such as Germany, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Spain, the United States, France, Greece, Hungary, England, Italy, Japan, and Sweden, among others. Thus, it was “a truly international symbol.”
The Olympic flag with the five rings began to be officially used in 1914. However, due to the temporary cancellation of the Olympic Games during World War I (1914–1918), its debut took place at the Antwerp, Switzerland, Olympics in 1920. Since then, it has been raised at the Opening Ceremony of every Olympic Games to this day.
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Legend of the “Olympic Stone”
There is a legend that the symbol’s origin lies in an ancient stone, engraved with the Olympic rings, discovered at an archaeological site in Delphi, Greece. The Pythian Games were held there in honor of Apollo in ancient times.
However, this is a mistake, as the rings carved into the supposed Olympic stone are not ancient, but modern. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Carl Diem, president of the organizing committee, ordered the manufacture of a stone with the Olympic symbol engraved on all four sides to support a fire bowl near the ancient stadium at Delphi.
The torchbearers from Olympia to the German capital were to pass through this stone, and it was to be the site of a ceremony intended to link ancient Olympic tradition with modern ones. However, at the end of the Games, the organizers forgot to remove the stone.
In the late 1950s, two British writers who visited Delphi mistook the stone for ancient times and claimed in a book that the emblem of the modern Olympic Games had been created in ancient times. Other authors repeated this misconception until it was corrected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1972.
Today, the stone is known as “Diem’s Stone.”
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Other Symbols of the Olympic Games
In addition to the Olympic rings, the Olympics have other important symbols:
Olympic Flag
This consists of a white square with a 2:3 ratio, on which the five Olympic rings are represented. It has been raised at every Olympic Games opening ceremony from 1920 to the present.
Olympic Flame and Torches
The Olympic flame consists of a mass of fire that is lit in Olympia, Greece, and passed from torch to torch to the host city. When it reaches the opening ceremony, the cauldron is lit, and the Olympic Games begin. The flame has been used in the modern Olympics since 1928, but it is a tradition inherited from ancient Greece, when a perpetual fire was maintained next to the temples. It commemorates Prometheus’ theft of fire from the gods and its delivery to humanity, according to Greek mythology. The torch relay, on the other hand, is modern and has been in use since 1936.
Olympic Motto
This is a phrase adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, at the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin. It originally read Citius, altius, fortius, which in Latin means “Faster, higher, stronger.” Since 2021, it has been Citius, altius, fortius – Communiter (“Faster, higher, stronger – Together”).
Olympic Creed
This is a slogan first uttered by Pierre de Coubertin in 1908, which states: “The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.” The Frenchman was supposedly inspired by an archbishop’s remark: “The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to participate,” although some authors believe this phrase also belongs to de Coubertin.
Olympic Anthem
This is a musical piece created by composer Spýros Samáaras, with lyrics by poet Kostís Palamás, both of Greek nationality. It was performed at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, then abandoned, and finally recognized as the official anthem in 1958.
Olympic Mascots
These are characters designed for each edition of the Olympic Games. They usually represent an animal or some aspect of the host city. The first official mascot was introduced in Munich in 1972, although the first such emblem appeared at the Grenoble Winter Olympics in 1968.
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FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
References
All the information we provide is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Abrahams, H. M., and Young, D. C. (2025). Olympic Games. Encyclopedia Britannica. britannica.com
- Barney, R.K. (1992). This great symbol. Olympic Review. Official Publication of the Olympic Movement, (301), 627-631. library.olympics.com
- Hogeback, J. (2019). What do the Olympic rings and flame represent? Encyclopedia Britannica. britannica.com
- International Olympic Committee. (s.f.). Olympic rings – Symbol of the Olympic Movement. olympics.com
- International Olympic Committee. (s.f.). What is the meaning of the Olympic rings? olympics.com
- MacAloon, J. J. (2008). This Great Symbol. Pierre de Coubertin and the Origins of the Modern Olympic Games. Routledge.
- Olympic Rings Definition, Origin, and Other Olympic Symbols – concepto.de
