what do the five olympic rings represent

The five Olympic rings represent the unity of the world’s five inhabited continents and the coming together of athletes from around the globe at the Olympic Games.

In more detail, the symbol was designed in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, to stand for the union of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, and the meeting of their athletes in one global event. The rings are interlocked to show how these continents and peoples are connected through sport and shared Olympic values like friendship, respect, and fair play.

Each ring is a different color—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—on a white background, and at least one of these colors appears in every national flag, which makes the emblem feel universal and inclusive. Contrary to popular belief, no specific ring is officially assigned to any specific continent; the colors and rings together symbolize that all nations are welcome and part of the same Olympic movement.