Olympic Flag: How many rings are on the Olympic flag and what do they represent?

The Olympic flag is an iconic symbol of the Summer and Winter Games. The flag is often ceremonially raised and lowered at the main venue in the presence of participants, officials, and fans. During the opening ceremony, the flag is raised to kick-start the events and lowered at the closing ceremony when the competition ends. The flag consists of unique features and a symbolic design.

The flag has a white background with five interlaced rings in the centre. The rings are of five colours symbolising different things. The flag has a long history and remains one of the main emblems of the Games organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Olympic flag meaning

The flag expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and the five continents that founded the tournament. It also unifies athletes and fans who travel worldwide to attend the Games.

Olympic flag and motto

The Olympic flag and motto are two important symbols of the competition. The traditional motto was "hendiatris Citius, Altius, Fortius," which is in Latin, and "Faster, Higher, Stronger" in English. 1894, Pierre de Coubertin proposed the motto during the formation of the International Olympic Committee.

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In 2021, the IOC modified it to the "Citius, Altius, Fortius - Communiter" motto in Latin and "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together" in English.

Olympic flag and torch

The torch is a sacred tradition that started in 776 BC in Ancient Greece. During those days, people lit flames before celebrations or games such as wrestling, running and equestrian events. Today, passing the torch symbolises peace and celebrates friendship and human achievement.

When was the Olympic flag raised for the first time?

The Olympic flag was created in 1914 by French international Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the co-founder of the modern Olympic games. The flag got raised for the first time at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium. Unfortunately, the flag got lost following the Antwerp Games, but they replaced it with another before the 1924 Paris Games.

IOC used the Paris 1924 flag in several Summer Games until 1988. In 1997, the original "Antwerp Flag" was discovered in Hal Prieste's suitcase and returned to the IOC in a ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Games by 103-year-old Prieste.

What five continents do the rings on the Olympics flag represent?

The idea for the rings came after the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Around 2,400 athletes representing 28 nations from five continents competed for the first time. These are Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

What are the main features of the Olympic flag?

The flag has a white background and interlocking rings in the centre. The Olympic flag rings have different colours vital to the Games' values.

How many rings are there in the Olympic flag?

Pierre de Coubertin designed the flag with five rings. The interlocking rings form a unique design that has become the tournament's identity.

What do the rings on the Olympic flag represent?

Coubertin said the five rings represent five continents, which participated in the 1912 Games. The interlaced rings have equal dimensions, putting all continents at the same level.

Olympic flag colours

The flag has a white background and five rings with different colours; blue, dark yellow, black, green, and red. The colours represent every nation's flag, which participated in the inaugural competition.

What does the colour black represent in the Olympic rings?

The black colour in one of the rings symbolises Europe. Meanwhile, yellow represents Africa, red represents the Americas, and blue represents Oceania. The green colour represents the Asian continent.

Tonga Olympic flag bearer

Pita Taufatofua has earned a reputation and won admirers for participating in three consecutive opening ceremonies. The Tongan athlete competed in taekwondo in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 and participated in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games as a cross-country skier.

Taufatofua carried his country's flag in the Parade of Nations and stole the show with traditional attire. Sources reveal he is aiming at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.

Olympic flag football

Flag football is a high-octane, non-contact version of American football. It is a sport where players make tackles by removing a flag belt on the hips of the ball carrier to end the player down. Flag football is dominant in America and Britain. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) manages the sport globally.

The IFAF and the National Football League partnered to push flag football in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angels. Fortunately, the bid received approval from the IOC Executive Board, pending final voting in October 2023.

The Olympic flag remains an iconic symbol of the global competition. During closing ceremonies of the Games, the mayor of the host often hands the flag to the IOC President, who hands it on to the mayor of the next host. The flag of the following host country gets raised to the right of the flag of the current host country alongside the anthem.

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