The story behind the Olympic symbol

Have you ever thought about the Olympics symbol? It's a simple design of interlocking five rings. And each ring has a different color. TBS (The Business Standard) is here to help you find the answers to the story behind this symbol.

The first Olympics was held in 1896. But this symbol was created in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin. He was the founder of the modern Olympics.

The five rings in the logo represent the continents. There are seven continents. Then there should be seven rings, right? 

There is no participant from Antarctica. Therefore, no ring to represent that icy continent. And one of the rings represents both South and North America.  

It's better to say those five rings represent five parts of our world. And they are Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas and Europe.

Now let's know about some colors. There are six colors in the Olympics logo. Five different colors (blue, yellow, black, green and red) of rings and white background.

Many people think different colors represent different continents. Interestingly, these six colors actually represent all the national flags of the countries that participated in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

Since 1912, many countries have participated in the Olympics. But after more than a century the Olympic rings remain the same. 

All the rings are of the same size. With three rings on top and two on the bottom, they're interlocked with one another. This represents the union among the continents and also the meeting of athletes from around the world.

These interlaced rings also represent a bond created by the shared goals. Excellence, friendship and respect are the three main values of Olympism. Olympism declares the right for all types of athletes who participate in the Olympics.