The Olympic symbol is made up of five rings.

Quick scoop

  • The Olympic rings are five interlocking rings in blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white background.
  • They represent the union of the five inhabited continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania) and the coming together of athletes from around the world.

A bit of context

  • The symbol was created in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin , founder of the modern Olympic Games.
  • The five Olympic colours (plus white) were chosen so that every national flag at the time contained at least one of them, symbolising global unity through sport.

If you’d like, I can also break down which ring is meant to “stand for” which continent in current popular interpretations.