Why are there 5 Olympic Rings instead of 7?

The five Olympic rings represent the continents of the world.

Why are there 5 Olympic Rings instead of 7?

The Olympic rings (via IOC/Olympic.com)

As the countdown for the 2024 Summer Olympics edges towards the end, fans are eager to see athletes collide with each other and compete at the highest level in front of a live audience again. This year, the historic event will take place in Paris. With the games on the horizon, one mega question of why there are just five rings instead of seven in the Olympic logo has popped up once again.

The modern Olympics started in the year 1896 after Pierre de Coubertin planned to bring it back. Since then, it has been held every four years except the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which was postponed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The symbol of the Olympics is a very popular one that encompasses the five rings in the color – blue, yellow, black, green, and red interlaced with one another.

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These five rings stand for the continents of the world. However, there are seven continents in the world, so why only five rings?

The answer to this lies in the fact that the majority of the world only recognized six continents at the time the logo was proposed, combining the continents of North America and South America into one. Thus, the symbol designed to represent the five continents of Africa, Asia, America, Europe, and Oceania.

Meanwhile, the icy continent of Antarctica is largely uninhabited. Since there is no representation under the flag of Antarctica, it is not included in the Olympic symbol or rings.

Olympic rings represent the Olympic movement

The colors of the Olympic rings were chosen because at least one of them appears on the flag of every nation in the world. The rings symbolize the unity and friendship of the world’s athletes who come together to compete in the Olympic Games.

This year the Olympics will be held in France
This year the Summer Olympics will be held in France (Image via Olympics.com/IOC/John HUET)
The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.
The Olympic organization on the usage of five rings as per Olympic Charter Rule 8.

They also represent the core values of the Olympic Movement which are excellence, friendship, and respect. These values encourage athletes to do their best, build friendships with people from different cultures, and show respect for each other.

FAQs

How many rings are there in the Olympic symbol?

There are five rings in the Olympics symbol.

Which continents are represented by the Olympic rings?

Each ring represents one of the five inhabited continents: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Why doesn’t Antartica have a ring in the Olympic flag?

Since Antartica has no representation under any national flag, it is not included in the Olympic symbol or rings.

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