Olympic Symbols and Traditions

The Olympic Rings and Flag

The official logo of the Olympic Games was developed, in 1913, by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Olympics. The Olympic Rings are five interlocking rings in the colours blue, yellow, black, green and red. The Olympic Flag contains all the rings on a white background. At least one of the colours, used in the rings, is found in the national flag of each participating country. The interlocking symbolizes the union of athletes from across the globe. The five continents represented in the rings are Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The Rings and Flag made their debut at the 1920 Games, in Antwerp, Belgium.

The Olympic Motto

The Olympic motto is ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’, which is Latin for ‘faster, higher, stronger’. A friend of Pierre de Coubertin, and Dominican priest, Henri Didon, was a passionate teacher and principal of the Arcueil College, near Paris. During a speech, based on the discipline of sport, Henri used the motto and drew it to the attention of his friend, Pierre. The motto made its debut at the Paris Olympics, in 1924.

The Olympic Creed

The inspiration for the creed came from a speech given to the Olympic champions by the Bishop of Pennsylvania, Ethelbert Talbot, at the 1908 London Games. The Olympic Creed reads, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.”

The Olympic Anthem

The Olympic Anthem was performed for the first time when the flag was raised at the opening ceremony of the 1896 Olympic Games, in Athens, Greece. It was composed by Spyridon Samaras and the lyrics came from a poem by the Greek poet and writer, Kostis Palamas. Each Olympic Games host, up until 1960, commissioned their own anthem for the opening ceremony. From 1960 onwards, the following original Olympic Anthem, by Spyridon and Kostis, was used.

The English translation is as follows:

“Immortal spirit of antiquity

Father of the true, beautiful and good

Descend, appear, shed over us thy light

Upon this ground and under this sky

Which has first witnessed thy unperishable fame

Give life and animation to those noble games!

Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors

In the race and in the strife!

Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!

In thy light, plains, mountains and seas

Shine in a roseate hue and form a vast temple

To which all nations throng to adore thee

Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!”

The Olympic Flame and Torch Relay

The symbol of the Olympic Flame and Torch dates back to the ancient Greeks. They believed that fire had sacred qualities. The flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera, in Olympia, by women wearing traditional robes and holding a mirror up to the sun to ignite the flame. In 1936, Carl Diem, who was the chairman of the organizing committee for the Games, suggested a torch relay. It first took place at the 1936 Berlin Games, whereby the Olympic Torch was lit at Olympia and then passed from runner to runner. The torch relay finished at its destination of the host city of the Olympic Games. The torch then ignited the cauldron and the flame continued to burn until the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Flame made its first appearance at the 1928 Olympic Games, in Amsterdam. The Olympic Torch Relay made its debut at the 1936 Games, in Berlin, Germany. Both traditions have continued to this day.

Release of Doves

The tradition of the Release of Doves was established in 1896. However, in 1920, it became an official part of every Summer Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. The Doves are released after the lighting of the cauldron and are a symbol of peace.

The Olympic Oath

The Olympic Oath was written by Pierre de Coubertin and first taken during the Opening Ceremony of the 1920 Olympic Games, in Antwerp, Belgium. One athlete and one judge from the host city both hold a corner of their national flag and recite the oath, on behalf of all participants of the Games. Although the wording has changed during the years, the current oath, for athletes, is as follows:

“In the name of all the competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.”

The judge from the host nation recites the following oath:

“In the name of all the judges and officials, I promise that we shall officiate in these Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them in the true spirit of sportsmanship.”

Medals

The tradition of the medals made its appearance at the 1896 Olympic Games. Before that time, the ancient Greeks bestowed olive wreaths upon their champions. Between 1928 and 2000, the obverse side of the medals depicted Nike, the winged goddess of victory. The symbol placed on the reverse side of the Olympic medal is decided upon by the organizing committee of each Olympic Games. The winners receive gold for first place, silver for second and bronze for third.

Mascots

The first unofficial mascot to make its debut was at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. It was a stylized cartoon character, wearing skis, called ‘Schuss’. However, the first official mascot, ‘Misha’, a Russian bear, appeared at the 1980 Summer Olympics, in Moscow. The character that is chosen, as a Mascot, helps to reflect the history and culture of the host city. The Mascot is used on merchandise and also appears in the opening and closing ceremonies.