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Do you know the true meaning behind the Olympic Rings? Read on.


Olympic Rings | Image via Pexels
Olympic Rings | Image via Pexels

Everyone knows that the Olympic Rings are a symbol of the world’s most prestigious competitive games. Indeed, they are a cornerstone of the registered and trademarked Olympic properties, which include a variety of assets, such as the symbol itself, but also the flag, motto, anthem identifications, designations, emblems, flame and torches. Yet, not everyone knows what the Olympic Rings actually mean. According to the latest version of the Olympic Charter, which is the codification of the fundamental principles of Olympism as well as the rules and bye-laws adopted by the International Olympic Committee:  


“The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions (the Olympic rings), used alone, in one or in five different colors. When used in its five-color version, these colors shall be, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. The rings are interlaced from left to right; the blue, black and red rings are situated at the top, the yellow and green rings at the bottom in accordance with the following graphic reproduction. The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” 


The Olympic Rings were first designed in 1913 by French educator and historian Pierre de Coubertin (1863 - 1937), who is also affectionately known as the father of the modern Olympic Games. The co-founder and second president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) turned out to be a true visionary. From his simple, clever and‚— above all — enduring design of the Olympic Symbol (which finally made its debut in 1920) to his insistence on introducing an arts program to the Olympic Games, he was instrumental in creating the framework that still serves us today, more than a hundred years after the Game’s modern revival. 


Although Coubertin was born into French aristocracy, he eventually became an academic who studied a wide range of topics, most notably education and history. He graduated with a degree in law and public affairs from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), where he first came up with the idea of reviving the Olympic Games. Perhaps because his father was an accomplished painter whose work was displayed and given prizes at the Parisian salon,  Coubertin believed in the importance of the arts, and therefore advocated for their inclusion in the Olympic program. Growing up at a time of wars, he wanted to promote peaceful competition.  


It was Coubertin who wrote many of the rules featured in the Olympic Charter when it was first published in 1908 under the title of Annuaire du Comité International Olympique. However, some of the rules contained within were written by Pierre de Coubertin as early as 1898. Among other things, it establishes the relations between the International Federations, National Olympic Committees and the Olympic Movement. The Pierre de Coubertin medal (also known as the Coubertin medal or the True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal) is awarded by the IOC to athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in the Olympic Games.


Today, the Olympic rings remain a global representation of the Olympic Movement and its activity. Furthermore, there are seven official versions of the Olympic rings. The full-color Olympic Rings on a white background  — a total of six colors and  the embodiment of Pierre de Coubertin’s original vision — are the preferred configuration since combining these colors can reproduce those of all participating nations. But the monochrome Olympic Rings provide an alternative to the full-color Olympic rings, and may appear in any of the six official Olympic colors whenever necessary. 

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