With the opening ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games right around the corner, it is only fitting that we take a look at the history and meaning of the official Olympic Emblem, otherwise known as the Olympic Rings.
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Designed in 1913 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, the Olympic Emblem displays five interlocking rings (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) and places them on a field of white. de Coubertin explained, “These five rings represent the five parts of the world which now are won over to Olympism and willing to accept healthy competition.” At its inception, each ring represented a continent with Europe and Asia being viewed as a single continent called Eurasia, and Antarctica being omitted. Today the rings symbolize Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The ring colors do not relate specifically to any continent, but were originally inspired by colors that appeared on national flags of the world at the time the emblem was designed.
The modern take on the meaning of the Olympic Emblem is that it embodies the spirit of the Olympic Movement that welcomes all countries and athletes to join in and expresses the union of the five continents.
The Olympic Emblem has proven to be timeless and flexible. Since its official debut at the VIIth Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920, it has been displayed at 25 Olympic Games (including Summer and Winter) for a grand total of 88 years. Pretty impressive.