What do the Olympic rings represent?

WASHINGTON — The five colorful rings that make up the Olympic logo are one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.

With the Winter Olympics fast approaching, these Olympic rings will be seen everywhere in Milan Cortina. Here’s what they mean.

The rings were introduced in 1913, according to the International Olympic Committee, and made their debut seven years later at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.

Designed with a white background, the rings appear in blue, yellow, black, green and red. Few changes have been made over the more than 100 years since the emblem’s debut, including some white spaces between the rings, then a return to no spaces in 2010.

There are two meanings tied to the Olympic emblem.

The colors signify five continents: Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. According to Rule 8 of the Olympic Charter, “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 ring colors on the white background represent the nations of the world. Every country in the world has at least one of these five colors on its flag (though they may be different shades).

The other meaning is tied to the interlocking of the rings, symbolizing how the event unifies the world. 

“These five rings represent the five parts of the world now won over to the cause of Olympism and ready to accept its fecund rivalries,” Olympic Movement founder Pierre de Coubertin said of the symbol.

The Winter Olympics are set to open on Feb. 6, 2026, and run through Feb. 22, 2026. The Paralympic Winter Games will begin a month after, on Mar. 6, 2026, through Mar. 16, 2026. 

Olympic events are scheduled from Feb. 6-22 in venues spanning the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto, as well as the autonomous provinces of Alto Adige and Trentino, with many hours of driving between them. 

Chris McCrory contributed to this report.