At first glance, it is very easy to recognize what sporting event the Olympic rings refer to. It happens every four years, and this year the celebration was in Rio. Few people know the meaning of this famous symbol, but we will share details about the origin of this interesting story here.
The Olympic rings are not as old as the Olympics. This symbol consists of five rings of different colors. It was first included in the emblem of the 20th anniversary celebration of the International Olympic Committee. The idea was came up in Paris in 1912, in order to revive the spirit of the ancient Olympic Games. Baron Pier de Coubertin was in charge of the committee, and this symbol was designed by him.
This association of countries marked the beginning of the committee as we know today, and it is responsible for planning and supervising all decisions concerning the modern Olympics. Initially, the idea of Baron Coubertin had the support of Russia, Sweden, New Zealand, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, United States, France, United Kingdom, Hungary and Italy. The Olympic rings as we know today were inspired by the logo of the French Union of Athletic Sports Societies, which consisted of two interlaced rings in red and blue on a white background.
Pier Baron de Coubertin was in charge of giving an international meaning to the emblem. As he explained in a conversation prior to the meeting of the 20th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee, “the six colors combined represent all nations, without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden; the blue and white of Greece, the three colors of France, the United Kingdom and Ireland, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Hungary, the yellow and red of Spain and the flags of Brazil and Australia, Japan and China.”
Coubertin’s explanation regarding the need to represent in the emblem the nations that are qualified to compete in the event eliminate other common interpretations such as the one that each ring represents a continent. In an article for the magazine “Olympic Revue” in 1992, American historian Robert Knight Barney shared the true meaning of the rings, using as a basis the documents of the committee, drafted by Baron Coubertin.
In this article, Robert Barney asked: “If the true meaning of the rings were the five continents of the world, why was Africa not mentioned? It was not until the 50s when the European institutions in Africa began to evolve into independent countries.”
The Olympic rings were used for the first time on an Olympic flag in the city of St. Moritz, in 1928. Since then, this symbol has been present in one of the most important events worldwide, which gathers athletes from different sports, belonging to the 106 active and 33 honorary members of each country in the world.