The iconic symbol has been around for more than 100 years, but you might be surprised to learn the real meaning behind the Olympic rings
As excitement builds for the 2026 Olympic Games, taking place Feb. 6–Feb. 22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, it’s easy to get swept up in the spectacle. Beyond the athletic performances, the Olympics are rooted in traditions that date back to 1896 in Athens. From the torch relay to the medal ceremonies, each symbol carries meaning—but none is more instantly recognizable than the five interlocking rings. Seen everywhere from stadiums to broadcasts, the symbol raises a simple but enduring question: what do the Olympic rings stand for?
To explore their significance more deeply, we connected with Robert DiGisi, a lecturer in the Sports Management department at the Wharton School. DiGisi offers insight into the inspiring Olympic traditions and iconic visuals that have been passed down over the years, as well as why the five interlocking colors were chosen.
Read on to learn how the Olympic rings have evolved over time, and why, as the world prepares to gather again in 2026, their meaning remains as powerful as ever.
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What is the history of the Olympic Games?
The Olympic rings, and the modern Games themselves, can be traced to one man: 19th-century French historian, sociologist, athlete and educator Pierre de Coubertin. A reformer who worked to bring physical education to French schoolchildren, Coubertin also organized the world’s first Congress on Physical Education and Scholar Competitions, held at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition. Five years later, in June 1894, Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and proposed what would become the modern-day Olympic Games—the first of which were held in Athens in 1896.
Coubertin’s vision for the Olympics included elite athletes from around the world coming together in one location to compete against each other. In 1894, he spelled out in the second edition of the Olympic Bulletin how the Games would rotate between different countries, and why that was so important: “The genius of each people, its manner of holding the festivals and of engaging in physical exercise, is what will give the modern Olympic Games their true character, and perhaps may make them superior to their ancient predecessors,” he wrote. “It is obvious that Games held in Rome will not resemble in the slightest those that may be held in London or Stockholm.”
What is the history of the Olympic rings?
Courtesy USOPC/IOC 36 U.S.C. § 220506
The Athens Olympics might have been the first modern Games, but it was the 1912 Olympics, held in Stockholm, Sweden, that first included athletes from all over the world. Inspired by what had become a truly global event, Coubertin designed what would become the symbol of the Games: the Olympic rings. (His original design from 1913 is shown above.)
The Olympic rings have been used in every summer and winter Games since 1920 and have remained relatively unchanged. One exception to this was a version introduced in 1957, which slightly increased the space between the rings. After another spacing change in the 1980s, the IOC decided in 2010 to go back to Coubertin’s original seamless interlocking—the iteration of the Olympic rings in use today.
What do the Olympic rings mean?
The five rings represent the five continents that participated in the 1912 Games. “The Olympic rings symbolize unity,” DiGisi says. “The five interconnected circles represent the five inhabited continents—Africa, Americas (North and South), Asia, Europe and Oceania—coming together through sports.” (Oceania refers to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.)
Further, the Olympic Charter says that “the Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement … and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.”
And in keeping with the spirit of the event, the five interlaced rings must be of equal dimensions, representing the idea that all continents are equal at the Games. In that sense, they more deeply represent a unification of all humankind across each continent, DiGisi notes.
What do the Olympic ring colors mean?
Given what we know about colors and their many symbolic meanings, you might assume that each Olympic ring color stands for something specific, like a continent. But that’s not the case at all. Coubertin didn’t create a color-code system when he introduced the symbol in 1913. He picked blue, black, red, yellow and green because every country’s flag at the time included at least one of those colors.
Inclusivity and global reach were the values behind the modern Olympics movement, and these ideals are reflected in its visual brand identity. In Coubertin’s own words: “The six colors thus combined reproduce those of all nations without exception.”
What are the official versions of the Olympic rings?
Believe it or not, today there are seven official versions of the Olympic rings, according to the IOC. “The design was officially adopted in 1914 and first used at the 1920 Antwerp Games,” DiGisi says, adding that World War I necessitated the cancellation of the 1916 Olympics.
“Since then, the rings have stayed exactly the same in principle with five interlocking circles on a white background.” Of course, as tech changes, so do we, and DiGisi says that the “visual treatment has been updated as branding evolved and accordingly, today’s version is thinner, cleaner and built for digital transmission.”
Unsurprisingly, the preferred iteration is the one featuring the rings in all five colors on a white background. However, in situations where it’s not possible to reproduce the Olympic rings in color, monochrome versions of the rings in each of the six official Olympic colors—blue, yellow, black, green, red and white—are acceptable alternatives.
While the concept of the Olympic rings may not be new, the symbol itself has evolved slightly over the years and has included these versions, according to the IOC:
1913: Coubertin’s original symbol featured five interlaced rings—blue, yellow, black, green and red—in the middle of a white background. The rings were adopted in 1914, but it would be another six years before they were seen at the Games.
1920: The Olympic rings made their official debut at the Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium, on the Olympic flag.
1957: After the rings had seen 44 years of use, the IOC approved the first modification of the Olympic rings, though it was extremely subtle. The two lower rings were moved down slightly to add space between the rings.
1986: The IOC updated its Graphics Standards to include a description of the official version of the Olympic rings, complete with how much space should be between each ring when the logo was reproduced.
2010: The IOC Executive Board decided that the Olympic rings should return to their roots—as in, Coubertin’s original version—with the rings interlaced seamlessly, and removed the gaps seen in the 1986 version.
About the expert
Rob DiGisi is a sports business expert, entrepreneur and educator. His career spans three decades in sports, entertainment and consumer marketing. In addition to lecturing on sports at Wharton, he routinely appears on SiriusXM’s Wharton Business Daily and contributes to the Sports Business Journal.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on what the Olympic rings stand for, writer Elizabeth Yuko drew on her experience as an award-winning journalist covering knowledge, culture, politics, history and traditions. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
Rob DiGisi, sports business expert and educator at Wharton University; interviewed, August 2025
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