The
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
(IOC) uses icons, flags, and symbols to represent and enhance the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competitions such as the flame, fanfare, and theme as well as those used both during and outside competition, such as the Olympic flag.
The Olympic flag was created in 1913 under the guidance of
Baron de Coubertin of France. It was first hoisted in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
in Old
Shatby Stadium which is now located in
Al Ittihad Alexandria Club
Al Ittihad Alexandria Club (), locally known as El Ittihad El Skandary, is an Egyptian sports club based in Alexandria. The club is mainly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Egyptian Premier League, the high ...
, at the 1914 Pan-Egyptian Games. The five rings on the flag represent the inhabited continents of the world (the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
were considered as one continent and
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
was treated as distinct from
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
). It contains the colours blue, black, red, yellow, and green, which are common on national flags globally.
Motto and creed

The original Olympic motto is the
hendiatris "" which is
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for "Faster, Higher, Stronger". The motto was proposed by
Pierre de Coubertin
Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (; born Pierre de Frédy; 1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937), also known as Pierre de Coubertin and Baron de Coubertin, was a French educator and historian, co-founder of the International Olympic ...
upon the creation of the IOC. Coubertin borrowed it from his friend
Henri Didon, a
Dominican priest who was an athletics enthusiast.
[; "Sport athlétique", 14 mars 1891: " ..dans une éloquente allocution il a souhaité que ce drapeau les conduise 'souvent à la victoire, à la lutte toujours'. Il a dit qu'il leur donnait pour devise ces trois mots qui sont le fondement et la raison d'être des sports athlétiques: citius, altius, fortius, 'plus vite, plus haut, plus fort'", cited in Hoffmane, Simone ''La carrière du père Didon, Dominicain. 1840 - 1900'', Doctoral thesis, Université de Paris IV — Sorbonne man thingy, 1985, p. 926; cf. Michaela Lochmann, ''Les fondements pédagogiques de la devise olympique „citius, altius, fortius“''] Coubertin said that "these three words represent a programme of moral beauty. The aesthetics of sport are intangible".
The motto was introduced at the
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...
in Paris. Coubertin's Olympic ideals are expressed in the Olympic creed:
Coubertin got this text from a sermon by
Bishop of Central Pennsylvania Ethelbert Talbot, during the
1908 London Games.
In 2021, the IOC approved the addition of the word "together", after an
en dash, to the motto. It now reads "", Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together" (). According to some
Italian Latinists, such as professor Mario De Nonno and professor Giorgio Piras, the concept of acting together is not properly conveyed by nor . De Nonno suggested an adverb such as meaning "as one".
Rings
The Olympic rings consist of five interlocking rings, coloured blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field. The symbol was originally created in 1913 by Coubertin. He appears to have intended the rings to represent the five inhabited continents:
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
,
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and
Oceania
Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
.
According to Coubertin, the colours of the rings, along with the white background, represented the colours of every competing country's flag at the time. Upon its initial introduction, Coubertin stated the following in the August 1913 edition of ''Olympique'':
In his article published in November 1992 in the ''Olympic Revue,'' the official magazine of the IOC, American historian Robert Barney explained that the idea of the interlaced rings came to Coubertin when he was in charge of the
USFSA
U.S. Figure Skating is the national Sports governing body, governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) under the Amateur Sports Act of 1 ...
. This association was founded by the union of two French sports associations and, until 1925, was responsible for representing the IOC in France. The emblem of the USFSA was two interlaced rings. Barney noted that Swiss psychiatrist
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychologist who founded the school of analytical psychology. A prolific author of Carl Jung publications, over 20 books, illustrator, and corr ...
considered circles to symbolise wholeness and that their linkage symbolized continuity.
The 1914
Olympic Congress was suspended due to the outbreak of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, so the symbol and flag officially debuted at the
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...
in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
.
The symbol's popularity and widespread use began during the lead-up to the
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...
in Berlin.
Carl Diem, president of the Organizing Committee for the 1936 Summer Olympics, wanted to hold a torchbearers's ceremony in the stadium at
Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct and the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient Classical antiquity, classical world. The A ...
, the site of the famous oracle where the
Pythian Games were also held. For this reason, he ordered the construction of a milestone with the Olympic rings carved in the sides and that a torchbearer should carry the flame along with an escort of three others from there to Berlin. The ceremony was celebrated, but the stone was never removed. Later, American authors
Lynn and Gray Poole, when visiting Delphi in the late 1950s, saw the stone and reported in their ''History of the Ancient Games'' that the Olympic rings design came from ancient Greece. This has become known as "Carl Diem's Stone".
This created a myth that the symbol had an ancient Greek origin.
The current view of the IOC is that the symbol "reinforces the idea" that the Olympic Movement is international and welcomes all countries of the world to join.
As can be read in the
Olympic Charter, the Olympic symbol represents the union of the
five continents of the world and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. However, no continent is represented by any specific ring. The 194950 edition of the IOC's "Green Booklet" stated that each colour corresponded to a particular continent: "blue for
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, yellow for
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, black for
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
, green for
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, and red for
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
". This assertion was reversed in 1951 because there was no evidence that Coubertin had intended it: "at the very most he might perhaps have admitted it afterwards". Nevertheless, the pre2014 logo of the
Association of National Olympic Committees placed the logo of each of its five continental associations inside the ring of the corresponding colour.
An Olympic Rings emoji was added to
WhatsApp
WhatsApp (officially WhatsApp Messenger) is an American social media, instant messaging (IM), and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make vo ...
on 24 July 2016 in version 2.16.7, it was later removed on 15 August 2016 in version 2.16.9. It consisted of five characters joined with s, forming a
joined character sequence. This was presumably part of a temporary agreement with the International Olympic Committee.
Different types of flags

Pierre de Coubertin created the Olympic flag in 1913.
Specific flags used
There are specific Olympic flags that are displayed by cities that will be hosting the next Olympic games. During each Olympic closing ceremony, in what is traditionally known as the Antwerp or Oslo Ceremony,
the flag is passed from the mayor of one host city to the next host, where it will then be taken to the new host city and displayed at its city hall. These special flags should not be confused with the larger Olympic flags manufactured specifically for each Games, which are flown over the stadium during the duration of the Games and then retired. As there is no specific flag for this purpose, the flags flown over the stadiums generally have subtle differences. This includes minor colour variations, and more noticeably the presence (or lack) of white outlines around each ring.
Antwerp flag
During the opening ceremony of the
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...
in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, the Olympic flag with the five rings signifying the universality of the Olympic Games was raised for the first time at an Olympic Games.
At the end of the Games, the flag could not be found and a new Olympic flag had to be made for the handover ceremony to the officials of the
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...
in Paris. Despite it being a replacement, the IOC officially calls this the "Antwerp Flag" instead of the "Paris Flag".
It was passed on to the next organising city of the
Summer Olympics until the
1952 Winter Olympics in
Oslo, Norway, when a separate Olympic flag was created to be used only at the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...
. The 1924 flag continued to be used at the Summer Olympics until the Games of
Seoul 1988 when it was retired.
In 1997, at a banquet hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee, a reporter was interviewing
Hal Haig Prieste who had won a bronze medal in platform diving as a member of the 1920 U.S. Olympic team. The reporter mentioned that the IOC had not been able to find out what had happened to the original Olympic flag. "I can help you with that," Prieste said, "It's in my suitcase." At the end of the Antwerp Olympics, spurred on by teammate
Duke Kahanamoku, he climbed a flagpole and stole the Olympic flag. For 77 years the flag was stored away in the bottom of his suitcase. The flag was returned to the IOC by Prieste, by then 103 years old, in a special ceremony held at the 2000 Games in Sydney. The original Antwerp Flag was placed on display at the Olympic Museum in
Lausanne
Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, with a plaque thanking him for donating it. The flag returned to Antwerp in 2004 and since 2013, the year that Antwerp bore the title of European Sports Capital, the flag was displayed in the entrance hall of Antwerp's city hall. In 2017, however, the flag was stored in the collection of the MAS due to the renovation of the town hall.
While the flag is recognized by the IOC, critics and historians note that the returned flag is not the one that was used in the 1920 opening ceremony, as the original flag was much larger than the one returned by Prieste.
Oslo flag
The Oslo flag was presented to the IOC by the mayor of
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, Norway, during the
1952 Winter Olympics. Between 1952 and 2014, the flag was passed to the next organising city for the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...
, with its last appearance in Sochi at the
2014 Winter Olympics. Currently, the actual Oslo flag is kept preserved in a special box, and in its last appearances from Torino 2006 to Sochi 2014) replicas had been used instead.
Seoul flag

As a successor to the Antwerp Flag, the Seoul flag was presented to the IOC at the
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
by the city of
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, South Korea. It was passed on to the next organising cities of the
Summer Olympics between 1988 and 2012. Its last appearance was in London at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
.
Rio de Janeiro flag
As a successor to the Seoul Flag, the Rio de Janeiro flag was presented to the IOC at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
by the city of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, Brazil. It has since been passed to the next organising cities of the
Summer Olympics.
Pyeongchang flag
As a successor to the Oslo Flag, the Pyeongchang flag was presented to the IOC at the
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
by the city of
Pyeongchang, South Korea. It has since been passed to the
next organizing city of the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...
.
Singapore flag
For the inaugural
Youth Olympic Games, an Olympic flag was created for the junior version of the Games. The flag is similar to the Olympic flag, but has the host city and year on it and was first presented to Singapore by
IOC President
Jacques Rogge.
During the closing ceremony on 26 August 2010, Singapore officials presented it to the next organising committee,
Nanjing 2014.
Innsbruck flag
For the inaugural winter
Youth Olympic Games, an Olympic flag was presented to the IOC at the
2012 Winter Youth Olympics
The 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games (), officially known as the I Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in Innsbruck, Austria, on 13–22 January 2012. They were the inaugural Wint ...
by the city of
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
,
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. It has since been passed on to the next organising city of the Winter Youth Olympics.
Flame and torch relay
The modern tradition of moving the Olympic flame via a relay system from Greece to the Olympic venue began with the Berlin Games in 1936. The organizers in Nazi Germany thought to use the Olympic torch relay as a propaganda tool to link ancient Greek ideals with the modern German state. Today, the relay symbolizes peace and unity, with the International Olympic Committee overseeing its organization. Months before the Games are held, the Olympic flame is lit on a torch, with the rays of the sun concentrated by a
parabolic reflector, at the site of the Ancient Olympics in
Olympia, Greece. The torch is then taken out of Greece, most often to be taken around the country or continent where the Games are held. The Olympic torch is carried by athletes, leaders, celebrities, and ordinary people alike, and at times in unusual conditions, such as being electronically transmitted via satellite for
Montreal 1976, submerged underwater without being extinguished for
Sydney 2000, or in space and at the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
for
Sochi 2014. On the final day of the torch relay, the day of the
opening ceremony, the flame reaches the main stadium and is used to light a cauldron situated in a prominent part of the venue to signify the beginning of the Games.
Medals and diplomas
Olympic medals and diplomas are awarded to the highest-finishing competitors in each event at the Olympic Games. The medals are made of
gold-plated silver (for the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
s), silver, or
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
, and are awarded to the top three finishers in a particular event. Each medal for an Olympiad has a common design, decided upon by the organisers for the particular games. For medals awarded at Summer Games, the obverse side has an image of
Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, holding a palm in her left hand and a winner's crown in her right, and the
Colosseum
The Colosseum ( ; , ultimately from Ancient Greek word "kolossos" meaning a large statue or giant) is an Ellipse, elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphi ...
in Rome in the background. In contrast, at Winter Games the creators of the medals have complete freedom to choose their designs.
The original medal design, created by
Giuseppe Cassioli, was used from the
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...
to the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
. The design underwent a drastic change for the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
, when Cassioli's design was replaced by a more modern design connected to Greece. The obverse side was changed to make more explicit references to the Greek goddess and traditions. In this design, the goddess Nike flies into the grounds of the
Panathenaic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium (, ) or ''Kallimarmaro'' ( , ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.
A stadium was built on the site o ...
, symbolizing the renewal of the Games. The new design was created by Greek jewelry designer
Elena Votsi.
For each Summer Olympics from 2004 onwards, the reverse side, as well as the labels for each Olympiad, were changed to reflect scenic images or locations from the host city.
Olympic diplomas are given to competitors placing fourth, fifth, and sixth since 1949, and to competitors placing seventh and eighth since 1981.
Anthems
The "
Olympic Hymn", officially known as the "Olympic Anthem", is played when the Olympic flag is raised. It was composed by
Spyridon Samaras with words from a poem by the Greek poet and writer
Kostis Palamas. Both the poet and the composer were the choice of
Demetrius Vikelas, a Greek
Pro-European
Pro-Europeanism, sometimes called European Unionism, is a political position that favours European integration and membership of the European Union (EU).Krisztina Arató, Petr Kaniok (editors). ''Euroscepticism and European Integration''. Pol ...
and the first President of the IOC. The anthem was performed for the first time for the opening ceremony of the
1896 Athens Olympic Games but was not declared the official hymn by the IOC until 1958. In the following years, every hosting location commissioned the composition of a specific Olympic hymn for their edition of the Games until the
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Valley ...
in Squaw Valley.
Other notable Olympic anthems and fanfares include:

* "": A composition for orchestra and mixed chorus composed by
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
for the
1936 Berlin Summer Olympics.
* The "Olympic Fanfare" for the
1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics: this was originally composed by
Aarre Merikanto for the
1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled. Merikanto's "Olympic Fanfare" won the fanfare contest organized in
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
in 1939, but the score was lost for over a decade. When rediscovered in 1951, it was decided to use it in 1952. It was recorded in 1953.
* "
Bugler's Dream": Written in 1958 by
Leo Arnaud as part of his ''Charge Suite''. the theme is often thought of by Americans as the "Olympic Theme" due to its usage in television coverage by
ABC and
NBC, starting with the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
* The "Olympic March": The theme written by
Yūji Koseki
was a Japanese ''ryūkōka'', '' gunka'', march, fight song and film score composer. His real name was also Yūji Koseki, but its kanji
are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the ...
for the
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
1964 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...
theme song.
* "Olympic Fanfare 1972": The winning submission for the
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...
theme song, used as the TV signature tune of the German Olympic Center () and the prelude to the medal ceremonies, composed by
Herbert Rehbein. It was performed by the
Orchestra of the Bavarian Broadcasting Company () and members of the
Air Force Band Neubiberg, conducted by Willy Mattes.
* "Olympic Fanfare and Theme": Composed by
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
for the Los Angeles
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...
. The theme was performed in the opening ceremonies by the
United States Army Herald Trumpets
The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets is a musical ensemble of the United States Army chiefly responsible for signaling the approach of the President of the United States at state occasions with entrance and exit fanfares. The unit is also charged with p ...
conducted by then-Captain David Deitrick. The first recording, performed by an orchestra composed of Los Angeles-area musicians, was released in its entirety on the LP and cassette album ''The Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles 1984''. There was a concurrent Japan-only CD release. The piece went on to win a
Grammy in 1985. A slightly different arrangement of the piece was released on the Philips album ''By Request: The Best of John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra''. In 1996, an alternate version of "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" was released on the album ''Summon the Heroes'' for the
Atlanta Olympic Games, replacing the first part of the piece with Arnaud's "Bugler's Dream". The theme was used at the
closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games as the countries' flagbearers entered the
BC Place field surrounding the Olympic cauldron, and during the Antwerp Ceremony when the Olympic flag was brought into the stadium by Vancouver Mayor
Gregor Robertson.
* "The Olympic Spirit": The theme written by John Williams for the
1988 Olympics in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
and used in the corresponding
NBC broadcasts.
* "
Summon the Heroes": The theme written by John Williams for the
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
.
* "
Theme from The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.": The theme song to this television show, composed by
Randy Edelman, was first used by NBC for teaser commercials and promo spots in
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
. It was retired following the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
.
* "
Call of the Champions
''Call of the Champions'' is a fanfare for orchestra and choir composed by John Williams for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Premiering at the Opening Ceremony on February 8, 2002, it began with the call by the Tabernacle Choir a ...
": The theme written by John Williams for the
2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.
Several other composers have contributed Olympic music, including
Henry Mancini,
Francis Lai
Francis Albert Lai (; 26 April 19327 November 2018) was a French composer, noted for his film scores. He won the 1970 Oscar for Best Music, Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film '' Love Story''. The ...
,
Marvin Hamlisch,
Philip Glass
Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
,
David Foster,
Mikis Theodorakis,
Ryuichi Sakamoto
was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
,
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (, ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; , ), was a Greek musician, composer, and producer of electronic, progressive, ambient, and classical orchestral music. He composed ...
,
Basil Poledouris,
Michael Kamen, and
Mark Watters.
Kotinos
The (), is an
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
branch, originally of wild olive-tree, intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe, introduced by
Heracles
Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...
. In the
ancient Olympic Games
The ancient Olympic Games (, ''ta Olympia''.), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of Athletics (sport), athletic competitions among representatives of polis, city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at ...
there were no
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
, silver, or bronze medals. There was only one winner per event, crowned with an olive wreath made of wild olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus at Olympia. The victorious athletes were honored, feted, and praised. Their deeds were heralded and chronicled so that future generations could appreciate their accomplishments.
According to the Greek historian
Herodotus
Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...
, the Persian King
Xerxes was interrogating some
Arcadians after the
Battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae ( ) was fought in 480 BC between the Achaemenid Empire, Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes I and an alliance of Polis, Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I. Lasting over the course of three days, it wa ...
. He inquired why there were so few Greek men defending Thermopylae. The answer was "All other men are participating in the Olympic Games". When asked "What is the prize for the winner?", he was told "an olive-wreath".
Tigranes, one of his generals, replied "Good heavens!
Mardonius, what kind of men are these against whom you have brought us to fight? Men who do not compete for possessions, but for honour."
In his play
Plutus, the Greek playwright
Aristophanes
Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...
suggested that the wreath being made of wild olive instead of gold signified that Zeus hoards his gold for himself.
In later times, athletes were rewarded with a generous sum of money as well as the . The tradition was renewed specifically for the Athens 2004 Games, although in this case it was bestowed together with the gold medal. Apart from its use in the awards ceremonies, the was chosen as the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
emblem.
Olympic salute

The Olympic salute is a variant of the
Roman salute, with the right arm and hand stretched and pointing upward, the palm outward and downward, with the fingers touching. However, unlike the Roman salute, the arm is raised higher and at an angle to the right from the shoulder. The greeting is visible on the official posters of the
Paris 1924 and
Berlin 1936 games.
The Olympic salute has fallen out of use since
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
because of its resemblance to the
Nazi salute
The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air with a straightened han ...
. It was used by the French team at the opening ceremony of the
1948 Winter Olympics.
Mascots
Since the
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated.
The 1968 Winter Games marked the first time ...
in
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
, France, the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
have had a
mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...
. This is usually an animal native to the area, or occasionally human figures representing the cultural heritage. The first major mascot in the Olympic Games was
Misha at the
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...
in Moscow. Misha was used extensively during the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as having a TV animated cartoon and appearing on several merchandise products. Nowadays, most of the merchandise aimed at young people focuses on the mascots, rather than the Olympic flag or organization logos.
Intellectual property
The Olympic movement is very protective of its symbols. Many jurisdictions have given the movement exclusive trademark rights to any interlocking arrangement of five rings and usage of the word "Olympic". The rings are not eligible for copyright protection, both because of their date of creation and because five circles arranged in a pattern do not reach the
threshold of originality
The threshold of originality is a concept in copyright law that is used to assess whether a particular work can be copyrighted. It is used to distinguish works that are sufficiently originality, original to warrant copyright protection from tho ...
required to be copyrighted.
The movement has taken action against numerous groups alleged to have violated their trademarks, including the
Gay Games; the
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
-based band
The Hopefuls, formerly The Olympic Hopefuls; the Redneck Olympics or
Redneck Games;
Awana Clubs International, a Christian youth ministry who used the term for its competitive games;
Wizards of the Coast, publisher at the time of the card game ''
Legend of the Five Rings''; and Philippine sporting good chain Olympic Village.
In 1938, the Norwegian brewery Frydenlund patented a label for its root beer which featured the five Olympic rings. In 1952, when Norway was to host the Winter Olympics, the Olympic Committee was notified by Norway's Patent Office that it was Frydenlund that owned the rights to the rings in that country. Today, the successor company
Ringnes AS owns the rights to use the patented five rings on its root beer. In addition, a few other companies have been successful in using the Olympic name, such as Olympic Paint, which has a paintbrush in the form of a torch as its logo, and the former Greek passenger carrier
Olympic Airlines.
Certain other sporting organisations and events have been granted permission by the IOC to use the word "Olympics" in their name, such as the
Special Olympics, an international sporting event held every four years for people with intellectual disabilities.
The IOC maintains exclusive ownership and control of the use of Olympic symbols through an international treaty and the IOC's demand for the enactment of laws in hosting locations to grant special trademark protection to Olympic symbols. In 1981, the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol, a treaty administered by the
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO was created to pr ...
, was signed by fifty-two states. All fifty-two signatories to the Nairobi Treaty became obligated under the treaty to protect Olympic symbols against use for commercial purposes without authorization of the IOC. Under the Nairobi Treaty, if the IOC authorizes use of an Olympic symbol in a country that is a party to the treaty, then that country's National Olympic Committee is entitled to a portion of any revenue generated from the IOC's authorisation of use. The Nairobi Treaty provides for a framework of international intellectual property protection of the licensure of all Olympic symbols.
In recent years, organising committees have also demanded the passing of laws to combat
ambush marketing
Ambush marketing or ambush advertising is a marketing strategy in which an advertiser "wikt:ambush, ambushes" an event to compete for exposure against other advertisers.
The term was coined by marketing strategist Jerry Welsh, while he was work ...
by non-official sponsors during the Games. This was seen with the
London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006, which put heavy restrictions on using any term or imagery that could constitute an unauthorized association with the games, including mere mentioning of the host city and the year.
Bob Barney co-authored the book ''Selling the Five Rings'' (2002), with Stephen Wenn and Scott Martyn, which discussed the history of corporate sponsorships and television rights for the Olympic Games. Barney argued that the Olympic torch had been commercialised since its inception in 1936, and that sponsors of the torch relay benefit from brand awareness. In contrast, the medal
podium ceremonies, which began in 1932, had not become commercialized since no advertising is allowed inside Olympic venues.
See also
*
Paralympic symbols
The Paralympic symbols are the icons, flags, and symbols used by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to promote the Paralympic Games.
Motto
The current Paralympic motto is "Spirit in Motion". It was introduced at the 2004 Summer Paralymp ...
*
Pierre de Coubertin Medal
*
Olympiadane
*
Olympicene
References
External links
*
PBS The Real Olympics, 2004.
the Raising of the Olympic flag in London, 26 September 2008* Bear Cub Misha Lover's Association,
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...
mascot ''Mishas fan page (in Japanese)
{{Portal bar, Olympics