The Five Olympic Rings

Brazil hosted the 2016 Olympic Gamesfrom August 5 to August 21. The worldwatched athletes from many countriescompete in 42 different sports. Mostpeople know the Olympic symbol of fiverings. Do you know the history of thissymbol? Not many people do. The firstOlympic Games happened in Greece in776 B.C. But the five colored rings havea much more recent history. A famousman in France designed a symbol of fiverings in 1914.

The five rings represent five“continents”. The athletes came fromthese continents: Africa, the Americas,Asia, Europe and Oceania. The designerchose a white background with rings ofblue, yellow, black, green and red.These colors were used on nationalflags at that time. There is moresignificance behind the symbol. Circlessignify wholeness. Circles that areconnected signify continuity.