There is probably no such person on Earth who would not know that the logo in the form of five multi-colored interlaced rings is the emblem of the Olympic Games. But that's what they specifically symbolize and why exactly these colors, not everyone will say. And not everyone knows when the Olympic rings first appeared at the games.
Today, the main symbol of the Olympics has gained extraordinary popularity, its image, especially in the year of the Games itself, can be seen almost everywhere. Summer games alternate with winter games, the place of their holding is constantly changing, but only the emblem of the competition - the Olympic rings - remains unchanged.
A bit of history
As you know, the founder of the modern Olympic Games is Pierre de Coubertin. Thanks to his tireless energy, there was a revival of ancient sports competitions. He also owns the idea of the main symbol of these competitions. The Olympic rings were first presented to the general public in August 1912, they were approved as a symbol in 1914, and theythe official debut took place in 1920 at the games in Belgium.
The emblem of the most popular sports tournament in the world is five rings of different colors on a white background, which are intertwined and placed in two rows. Moreover, the Charter of the Games strictly stipulates what colors and in what sequence they should be placed in each row.
Introducing the coined symbol, de Coubertin said that the Olympic rings symbolize the five parts of the world taking part in the games and united by a common sports spirit. The Games are an international sporting event, and all countries on all continents are allowed to take part in it.
Colors cannot be changed
Olympic rings colors are as follows: green, yellow, blue, black and red. They represent Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia. Moreover, both Americas - North and South - act as one whole, while the Arctic and Antarctic (for obvious reasons) are not on this list.
Initially, there was no binding of colors to certain parts of the world, officially there is none now. But what is interesting is that at least one of the five colors must be present on the national flag of each country participating in the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee has developed a special code that strictly stipulates the use of the symbols of the World Games, and no one is allowed to violate it. It precisely indicates the order in which the rings are placed: the top row consists ofthree - blue, black and red; yellow and green make up the bottom row. Even when the Olympic Rings are shown against a dark background, the black must remain the same color.
More than a century has passed since the appearance of the emblem, all this time it has remained a symbol of the main sporting event of mankind. Athletes from all over the world strive to take part and win medals. After all, the winner receives, along with a gold medal, a lifetime honorary title of Olympic champion.
