What do the five rings of the Olympic Games symbol mean and what does each color represent?

It is one of the most iconic symbols in sport, simple and unmistakable. Over the next few weeks we will be seeing a lot more of the Olympic symbol, as Paris plays host to the XXXIII Olympiad - the 33rd edition of the summer Games, which officially gets underway on Friday 26 July.

It is perhaps the one and only constant in all the games - five colored rings of equal dimensions, interlaced on top of a plain white background. It has been a symbol of the Olympic Games since 1914. But do you know the history behind them?

The origin and meaning of the Olympic rings

The modern Olympic Games were first held in Athens in 1896. However, the current symbol would not be used until a few years later. In 1913, Pierre de Coubertin the Founder of the Olympic Movement, set himself the task of coming up with an emblem which was totally universal. It is highly likely that De Coubertin was inspired by the logo of the USFSA (Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques - Union of French Athletic Sports Societies) - two interlocked rings, one red, one blue.

De Coubertin had served as Secretary General during the 1890s and in July 1913, his design, what we now know as the Olympic sumbol, first appeared on a personalized letterhead. He Pierre presented the rings in an article which appeared in the Olympic magazine entitled “The 1914 Symbol and Flag”.

Each ring was designated a color, which follow a set order: blue, black, yellow, green and red, placed in two rows on a white background.

One of the reasons why there are five rings is that they fully represent the five continents: Oceania, America, Africa, Europe and Asia. At the same time they are intertwined with each other as a symbol of union. The first time they were used officially was in the Belgian Games in 1920.

The reason for the colors

One theory claims that each color represents a continent. For example, blue would be for Europe, black for Africa, red for America, green for Oceania and yellow for Asia. Furthermore, this color palette was chosen so that all country flags would have at least one of those colors represented.

De Coubertin elaborated on this in his article: “The emblem chosen to showcase and represent the 1914 World Congress is the final step in the Olympic revival. It has begun to appear on various preliminary documents. Five equal, interlocking rings colored blue, yellow, black, green and red stand out against a white background.

“Moreover, these six colours can be combined to represent all national colors, without exception: Sweden’s blue and yellow; Greece’s blue and white; the tricolours of France, Great Britain, America, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Hungary. Spain’s yellow and red stand alongside newer nations like Brazil and Australia, as well as ancient Japan and young China”.

He added that his symbolic logo represented “the five continents united by Olympism and the colours of all nations”.