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{{Short description|Symbols of the Olympic Games}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Oxford English|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Olympic Games infobox}}

The [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) uses icons, flags, and symbols to represent and enhance the [[Olympic Games]]. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competitions such as the flame, fanfare, and theme as well as those used both during and outside competition, such as the Olympic flag.

The Olympic flag was created in 1914 under the guidance of [[Pierre de Coubertin|Baron de Coubertin]] of France. It was first hoisted in [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] in Old [[Shatby]] Stadium which is now located in [[Al Ittihad Alexandria Club]] , at the 1914 Pan-Egyptian Games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Team Egypt|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/noc-profile-egypt.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721171248/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/noc-profile-egypt.htm|archive-date=21 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> The five rings on the flag represent the inhabited continents of the world (the [[Americas]] were considered as one continent and [[Europe]] was treated as distinct from [[Asia]]). It contains the colours blue, black, red, yellow, and green, which are common on national flags globally.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the meaning of the Olympic rings? |url=https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/olympic-symbol-and-identity/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-olympic-rings#:~:text=The%20Olympic%20symbol%20(the%20Olympic,world%20at%20the%20Olympic%20Games. |website=[[International Olympic Committee]] |date=2021-09-07 |access-date=31 August 2021 |archive-date=4 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304030503/https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/olympic-symbol-and-identity/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-olympic-rings#:~:text=The%20Olympic%20symbol%20(the%20Olympic,world%20at%20the%20Olympic%20Games. |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Motto and creed ==
[[File:Citius altius fortius.png|thumb|The motto on a [[1948 Summer Olympics]] medal]]
The original Olympic motto is the [[hendiatris]] "{{lang|la|Citius, Altius, Fortius}}" which is [[Latin]] for "Faster, Higher, Stronger".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://registration.olympic.org/en/faq/detail/id/29 |title=What is the Olympic motto? |year=2013 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=19 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918085634/http://registration.olympic.org/en/faq/detail/id/29 |archive-date=18 September 2015}}</ref> The motto was proposed by [[Pierre de Coubertin]] upon the creation of the IOC. Coubertin borrowed it from his friend [[Henri Didon]], a [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priest who was an athletics enthusiast.<ref name=motto>{{cite web| title=Opening Ceremony| url=http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_268.pdf| publisher=International Olympic Committee| access-date=23 August 2012| page=3| year=2002| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905080534/http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_268.pdf| archive-date=5 September 2011| url-status=dead}}; "Sport athlétique", 14 mars 1891: "[...] dans une éloquente allocution il a souhaité que ce drapeau les conduise 'souvent à la victoire, à la lutte toujours'. Il a dit qu'il leur donnait pour devise ces trois mots qui sont le fondement et la raison d'être des sports athlétiques: citius, altius, fortius, 'plus vite, plus haut, plus fort'", cited in Hoffmane, Simone ''La carrière du père Didon, Dominicain. 1840 - 1900'', Doctoral thesis, Université de Paris IV&nbsp;— Sorbonne man thingy, 1985, p. 926; cf. Michaela Lochmann, ''Les fondements pédagogiques de la devise olympique „citius, altius, fortius“''</ref> Coubertin said that "these three words represent a programme of moral beauty. The aesthetics of sport are intangible".<ref name=motto /> The motto was introduced at the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in Paris.<ref>[http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1924 Games of the VIII Olympiad - Paris 1924] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303133133/http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1924 |date=3 March 2007}}</ref> Coubertin's Olympic ideals are expressed in the Olympic creed:

{{quote
| "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."<ref name="olympicsymbols">
{{cite web
 |url=http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1303.pdf
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324234949/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1303.pdf
 |archive-date=24 March 2009
 |title=The Olympic Symbols
 |publisher=International Olympic Committee
 |access-date=4 February 2009
 |url-status=dead
 }}
</ref>
|author=(English translated)}} 

{{Quote|text=“L'essentiel est de participer. L'important n'est pas de triompher, mais de lutter. L'essentiel n'est pas d'avoir vaincu, mais d'avoir bien combattu.”|author=Pierre de Coubertin (French version)|source=<ref>{{cite web | url=https://library.olympics.com/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/1447366/pierre-de-coubertin-recueil-de-citations-pierre-de-coubertin-selected-quotes-le-centre-d-etudes-olym?_lg=en-GB | title=Pierre de Coubertin : Recueil de citations = Pierre de Coubertin : Selected quotes / Le Centre d'Etudes Olympiques | date=2024 }}</ref>}}

Coubertin got this text from a sermon by [[Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania|Bishop of Central Pennsylvania]] [[Ethelbert Talbot]], during the [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908 London Games]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/The_Olympic_Summer_Games.pdf |title=The Olympic Summer Games |publisher=International Olympic Committee |date=October 2013 |access-date=29 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906110401/http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/The_Olympic_Summer_Games.pdf |archive-date=6 September 2015}}</ref>

In 2021, the IOC approved the addition of the word "together", after an [[Dash|en dash]], to the motto. It now reads "{{lang|la|Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter}}", Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together" ({{langx|fr|</i>"<i>Plus vite, Plus haut, Plus fort – Ensemble</i>"<i>}}).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-22|title="Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together" - IOC Session approves historic change in Olympic motto - Olympic News|url=https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-faster-higher-stronger-together-ioc-session-approves-historic-change-in-olympic-motto|access-date=2021-07-23|website=International Olympic Committee|language=en|archive-date=22 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722105327/https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-faster-higher-stronger-together-ioc-session-approves-historic-change-in-olympic-motto|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-motto |title=The Olympic motto |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=16 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816221617/https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-motto |url-status=live }}</ref> According to some [[Italians|Italian]] Latinists, such as professor Mario De Nonno and professor Giorgio Piras, the concept of acting together is not properly conveyed by {{lang|la|communis}} nor {{lang|la|communiter}}. De Nonno suggested an adverb such as {{lang|la|Una}} meaning "as one".<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/olimpiadi-tokyo-2020/tokyo-2020-il-professore-di-latino-vi-spiego-perche-la-gaffe-del-cio-e-clamorosa/392436/393149|title = Tokyo 2020, il professore di latino: 'Vi spiego perché la gaffe del Cio è clamorosa'|date = 23 July 2021|access-date = 29 July 2021|archive-date = 22 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211122235235/https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/olimpiadi-tokyo-2020/tokyo-2020-il-professore-di-latino-vi-spiego-perche-la-gaffe-del-cio-e-clamorosa/392436/393149|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iltempo.it/attualita/2021/07/22/news/motto-latino-olimpiadi-tokyo-2020-giochi-olimpici-communiter-communis-solidarieta-cio-errore-gaffe-28060413/|title=Olimpiadi, la gaffe del Cio è clamorosa: Sbaglia il latino sul motto di Tokyo2020|access-date=29 July 2021|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222182414/https://www.iltempo.it/attualita/2021/07/22/news/motto-latino-olimpiadi-tokyo-2020-giochi-olimpici-communiter-communis-solidarieta-cio-errore-gaffe-28060413/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== {{anchor|Olympic rings}}Rings ==
{{redirect|Olympic rings|the artistic gymnastics event|Rings at the Olympics}}
{{Infobox coat of arms
|name = Emblem of the Olympic Games ("Olympic Rings")<br>{{smaller|{{lang|fr|Emblème des Jeux Olympiques ("Anneaux olympiques")}}}}
|image = Olympic rings without rims.svg
|middle_caption = 
|image_width = 200
|middle = 
|middle_width = 
|lesser = 
|lesser_width = 
|lesser_caption = 
|armiger = [[Kirsty Coventry]], [[President of the International Olympic Committee]]
|year_adopted = {{start date and age|1913|08|df=y}}
|crest = 
|torse = 
|shield = Five interlocking rings, coloured blue, black, red, yellow, and green.
|supporters = 
|compartment = 
|motto = 
|orders = 
|other_elements = 
|earlier_versions = [[File:Olympic rings with white rims.svg|160px]] [[File:Olympics rings (1913-1986).svg|160px]]
|use = 1986–2010, 1913–1986
}}

The Olympic rings consist of five interlocking rings, coloured blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field. The symbol was originally created in 1913 by Coubertin.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/story/olympics-symbols-and-traditions|title=Olympics: Symbols and Traditions|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2018-02-07|language=en|archive-date=7 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207193926/https://www.britannica.com/story/olympics-symbols-and-traditions|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the colors of the rings were later said to be representations of individual continents, Coubertin originally only meant the number of rings to "represent the five parts of the world now won over to Olympism."<ref name= KLennartz>{{cite journal| title=The Story of the Rings| url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv10n1/JOHv10n1m.pdf| journal=Journal of Olympic History| date=2002| volume=10| last=Lennartz| first=Karl| page=32| access-date=30 November 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107230741/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv10n1/JOHv10n1m.pdf| archive-date=7 January 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Coubertin, the colours of the rings, along with the white background, represented the colours of every competing country's flag at the time. Upon its initial introduction, Coubertin stated the following in the August 1913 edition of ''Olympique'':<ref>{{cite journal| title=The Story of the Rings| url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv10n1/JOHv10n1m.pdf| journal=Journal of Olympic History| date=2002| volume=10| last=Lennartz| first=Karl| page=31| access-date=7 January 2016| quote=De plus les six couleurs ainsi combinées reproduisent celles de toutes les nations sans exception. Le bleu et jaune de Suède, le bleu et blanc de Grèce, les tricolores français, anglais, américain, allemand, belge, italien, hongrois, le jaune et rouge d'Espagne voisinent avec les innovations brésilienne ou australienne, avec le vieux Japon et la jeune Chine. Voilà vraiment un emblème international.| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107230741/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv10n1/JOHv10n1m.pdf| archive-date=7 January 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref>
<!-- the translation appearing in the Journal of Olympic History (citation above).  Do not change it unless you find an actual error of translation. -->
{{quote|... the six colours [including the flag's white background] combined in this way reproduce the colours of every country without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tricolour flags of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain are included, as are the innovative flags of Brazil and Australia, and those of ancient Japan and modern China. This, truly, is an international emblem.|author=|title=|source=}}

[[File:Union des sociétés françaises de sports athlétiques logo.svg|thumb|left|USFSA logo]]
In his article published in November 1992 in the ''Olympic Revue,'' the official magazine of the IOC, American historian Robert Barney explained that the idea of the interlaced rings came to Coubertin when he was in charge of the [[Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques|USFSA]]. This association was founded by the union of two French sports associations and, until 1925, was responsible for representing the IOC in France. The emblem of the USFSA was two interlaced rings. Barney noted that Swiss psychiatrist [[Carl Jung]] considered circles to symbolise wholeness and that their linkage symbolized continuity.<ref name="AAFLA">{{cite journal |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1992/ore301/ORE301p.pdf |title=This Great Symbol |author=Robert Knight Barney |access-date=29 December 2015 |journal=Olympic Review |date=November 1992 |number=301 |archive-date=5 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305010456/http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1992/ore301/ORE301p.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The 1914 [[Olympic Congress]] was suspended due to the outbreak of [[World War I]], so the symbol and flag officially debuted at the [[1920 Summer Olympics]] in [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]].<ref>{{cite book| title=Encyclopedia of the Modern Olympic Movement| editor1-first=John E.| editor1-last=Findling| editor2-first=Kimberly D.| editor2-last=Pele| publisher=Greenwood Press| date=2004| isbn=0-313-32278-3 | pages=65, 75}}</ref>

The symbol's popularity and widespread use began during the lead-up to the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in Berlin. [[Carl Diem]], president of the Organizing Committee for the 1936 Summer Olympics, wanted to hold a torchbearers's ceremony in the stadium at [[Delphi]], the site of the famous oracle where the [[Pythian Games]] were also held. For this reason, he ordered the construction of a milestone with the Olympic rings carved in the sides and that a torchbearer should carry the flame along with an escort of three others from there to Berlin. The ceremony was celebrated, but the stone was never removed. Later, American authors [[Lynn Poole|Lynn and Gray Poole]], when visiting Delphi in the late 1950s, saw the stone and reported in their ''History of the Ancient Games''<ref>{{Cite book|title=History of ancient Olympic games|last1=Poole|first1=Lynn|last2=Poole|first2=Gray Johnson|date=1963|publisher=I. Obolensky|location=New York|language=en|oclc = 541303}}</ref> that the Olympic rings design came from ancient Greece. This has become known as "Carl Diem's Stone".<ref name="aldaver">{{cite web |url=http://www.aldaver.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020524061552/http://www.aldaver.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=24 May 2002 |title=Logos & Mascots |date=27 February 2007 |access-date=18 March 2007}}</ref> This created a myth that the symbol had an ancient Greek origin.

The current view of the IOC is that the symbol "reinforces the idea" that the Olympic Movement is international and welcomes all countries of the world to join.<ref name="IOC">{{cite web |url=http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_672.pdf |title=The Olympic symbols |access-date=18 March 2007 |year=2002 |publisher=[[IOC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316083724/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_672.pdf |archive-date=16 March 2007}}</ref> As can be read in the [[Olympic Charter]], the Olympic symbol represents the union of the [[five continents]] of the world and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. However, no continent is represented by any specific ring. The 1949{{endash}}50 edition of the IOC's "Green Booklet" stated that each colour corresponded to a particular continent: "blue for [[Europe]], yellow for [[Asia]], black for [[Africa]], green for [[Oceania|Australia]], and red for [[Americas|America]]".<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Comité internationale olympique et les Jeux olympiques modernes |date=1949 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |location=Lausanne |page=18 |url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Olympic-Studies-Centre/List-of-Resources/Official-Publications/Olympic-Charters/1949-Le_CIO_et_les_Jeux_olympiques.pdf#page=22 |language=fr |access-date=19 March 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; {{cite book |title=The International Olympic Committee and the modern Olympic Games |date=1950 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |location=Lausanne |page=18 |url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Olympic-Studies-Centre/List-of-Resources/Official-Publications/Olympic-Charters/EN-1950-Olympic-Charter.pdf#page=22 |access-date=19 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919091502/https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Olympic-Studies-Centre/List-of-Resources/Official-Publications/Olympic-Charters/EN-1950-Olympic-Charter.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> This assertion was reversed in 1951 because there was no evidence that Coubertin had intended it: "at the very most he might perhaps have admitted it afterwards".<ref>{{cite journal |date=January 1951 |title=Decision adopted by the Executive Committee |journal=Bulletin du Comité International Olympique (Olympic Review) |publisher=IOC |location=Lausanne |issue=25 |page=32 |url=https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll1/id/26411/rec/48 |access-date=19 March 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805184755/https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll1/id/26411/rec/48 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nevertheless, the pre{{endash}}2014 logo of the [[Association of National Olympic Committees]] placed the logo of each of its five continental associations inside the ring of the corresponding colour.<ref>{{cite press release |title=ANOC unveils dynamic new logo |url=https://www.anocolympic.org/es/anoc-press-release/anoc-unveils-dynamic-new-logo/ |publisher=ANOC |access-date=19 March 2020 |date=20 May 2014 |archive-date=30 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130090803/http://www.anocolympic.org/es/anoc-press-release/anoc-unveils-dynamic-new-logo/ |url-status=dead }}; {{cite web |title=[Former home page] |url=http://www.en.acnolympic.org/art.php?id=20008 |website=Official website |publisher=Association of National Olympic Committees |access-date=19 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926091140/http://www.en.acnolympic.org/art.php?id=20008 |archive-date=26 September 2013 |date=26 September 2013 }}</ref>

An Olympic Rings emoji was added to [[WhatsApp]] on 24 July 2016 in version 2.16.7, it was later removed on 15 August 2016 in version 2.16.9.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://emojipedia.org/olympic-rings/|title=◯◯◯◯◯ Olympic Rings Emoji|access-date=26 January 2021|archive-date=3 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303012044/https://emojipedia.org/olympic-rings/|url-status=live}}</ref> It consisted of five {{unichar|25EF|LARGE CIRCLE}} characters joined with {{unichar|200D|ZERO WIDTH JOINER|nlink=Zero-width joiner}}s, forming a [[Zero-width joiner|joined character sequence]]. This was presumably part of a temporary agreement with the International Olympic Committee.<ref name="Emojipedia Blog - WhatsApp Adds Olympic Rings Emoji">{{Cite web|url=https://blog.emojipedia.org/whatsapp-adds-olympic-rings-emoji/|title="WhatsApp Adds Olympic Rings Emoji"|website=blog.emojipedia.org|date=24 July 2016|access-date=January 26, 2021}}</ref>

== Different types of flags <span id="Flag"></span> ==

{{Infobox flag
| Name = The International Olympic Committee
| Article =
| Nickname = {{lang|en|The Olympic rings}}
| Image = Olympic flag.svg
| Use = Sport
| Symbol = {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|000000}}
| Proportion = 2:3
| Adoption = 14 August 1920
| Design = Five interlaced rings of equal dimensions (the Olympic rings), used alone, in one or in five different colours. When used in its five-colour version, these colours shall be, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The rings are interlaced from left to right; the blue, black, and red rings are situated at the top, the yellow and green rings at the bottom in accordance with the above graphic reproduction.
| Designer = [[Pierre de Coubertin]]
}}
[[File:Olympic-flag-Victoria.jpg|thumb|right|The Olympic flag flying in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], [[British Columbia]], Canada, as the province was the host of [[2010 Winter Olympics]] held in Vancouver]]

Pierre de Coubertin created the Olympic flag in 1913.
{{quotation|The emblem selected to illustrate and represent the 1914 World Congress which was to place the final seal on the restoration of the Olympics began to appear on various preliminary documents: five rings linked at regular intervals, their various colors – blue, yellow, black, green and red – standing out against the white of the paper. These five rings represent the five parts of the world now won over to Olympism, ready to accept its fruitful rivalries. In addition, the six colours combined in this way reproduce the colours of every country without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tricolor flags of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain are included, as are the innovative flags of Brazil and Australia, and those of ancient Japan and modern China. This, truly, is an international emblem. It was made to be turned into a flag, and the look of the flag would be perfect. It is a light, appealing flag, a delight to see fluttering in the wind. Its meaning is largely symbolic. Its success is assured, to the point that after the Congress it can continue to be raised on solemn Olympic occasions.|Pierre de Coubertin (1913)<ref>{{cite book|date=13 March 2017|title=Quotes by Pierre de Coubertin|url=https://library.olympic.org/default/basicfilesdownload.ashx?itemId=83252|publisher=Olympic Study Centre|page=11|access-date=28 May 2020|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806082058/https://library.olympic.org/default/basicfilesdownload.ashx?itemId=83252|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

=== Specific flags used ===

There are specific Olympic flags that are displayed by cities that will be hosting the next Olympic games. During each Olympic closing ceremony, in what is traditionally known as the Antwerp or Oslo Ceremony,<ref name="OCprotocol2">{{cite web| title=Olympic Charter| publisher=The International Olympic Committee| date=2 August 2015| url=http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf| access-date=29 December 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007023126/http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf| archive-date=7 October 2009| url-status=dead}}</ref> the flag is passed from the mayor of one host city to the next host, where it will then be taken to the new host city and displayed at its city hall. These special flags should not be confused with the larger Olympic flags manufactured specifically for each Games, which are flown over the stadium during the duration of the Games and then retired. As there is no specific flag for this purpose, the flags flown over the stadiums generally have subtle differences. This includes minor colour variations, and more noticeably the presence (or lack) of white outlines around each ring.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

==== Antwerp flag ====

During the opening ceremony of the [[1920 Summer Olympics]] in [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]], the Olympic flag with the five rings signifying the universality of the Olympic Games was raised for the first time at an Olympic Games.<ref name="Antwerp1920">{{cite web| url=https://www.olympic.org/antwerp-1920| title=Antwerp 1920| date=25 April 2018| access-date=3 April 2021| archive-date=6 May 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506120907/http://www.olympic.org/antwerp-1920-summer-olympics| url-status=live}}</ref> At the end of the Games, the flag could not be found and a new Olympic flag had to be made for the handover ceremony to the officials of the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in Paris. Despite it being a replacement, the IOC officially calls this the "Antwerp Flag" instead of the "Paris Flag".<ref name="Vancouver2010Symbols">{{cite web| url=http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/the-olympic-flags-and-emblem_38344IZ.html| title=Vancouver 2010: The Olympic Flags the Closing Ceremony of the '''Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games''', the flag was passed on to the next Olympic Games city, Seoul, and then retired. [emphasis added]| access-date=1 March 2010| archive-date=28 February 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228141124/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/the-olympic-flags-and-emblem_38344IZ.html| url-status=dead}}</ref> It was passed on to the next organising city of the [[Summer Olympics]] until the [[1952 Winter Olympics]] in [[Oslo, Norway]], when a separate Olympic flag was created to be used only at the [[Winter Olympics]]. The 1924 flag continued to be used at the Summer Olympics until the Games of [[1988 Summer Olympics|Seoul 1988]] when it was retired.

In 1997, at a banquet hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee, a reporter was interviewing [[Hal Haig Prieste]] who had won a bronze medal in platform diving as a member of the 1920 U.S. Olympic team. The reporter mentioned that the IOC had not been able to find out what had happened to the original Olympic flag. "I can help you with that," Prieste said, "It's in my suitcase." At the end of the Antwerp Olympics, spurred on by teammate [[Duke Kahanamoku]], he climbed a flagpole and stole the Olympic flag. For 77 years the flag was stored away in the bottom of his suitcase. The flag was returned to the IOC by Prieste, by then 103 years old, in a special ceremony held at the 2000 Games in Sydney.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE3DE1738F931A2575AC0A9669C8B63&&scp=1&sq=olympic%20flag%20antwerp&st=cse| title=Missing Flag Returns to Glory, Courtesy of a Prankster| work=[[The New York Times]]| first=Richard| last=Sandomir| date=12 September 2000| access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> The original Antwerp Flag was placed on display at the Olympic Museum in [[Lausanne]], [[Switzerland]], with a plaque thanking him for donating it.<ref>{{cite news| title=Después de ochenta años le remordió la conciencia| url=http://www.larepublica.com.uy/deportes/21819-despues-de-ochenta-anos-le-remordio-la-conciencia|trans-title=After Eighty Years, Conscience Kicked Him| publisher=La Red21 Radio| location=Montevideo| date=12 September 2000| language=es| access-date=29 December 2015}}</ref> The flag returned to Antwerp in 2004 and since 2013, the year that Antwerp bore the title of European Sports Capital,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-21 |title=AWDC partners with Sporting A |url=https://www.awdc.be/en/awdc-partners-sporting |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Antwerp World Diamond Centre |language=en}}</ref> the flag was displayed in the entrance hall of Antwerp's city hall. In 2017, however, the flag was stored in the collection of the MAS due to the renovation of the town hall.

While the flag is recognized by the IOC, critics and historians note that the returned flag is not the one that was used in the 1920 opening ceremony, as the original flag was much larger than the one returned by Prieste.<ref name= KLennartz /><!-- "What really happened and was actually stolen in Antwerp was then examined by the Belgian member and current president of the IOC, Jacques ROGGE, and reported on in a letter to the editor in the [”]Journal of Olympic History”. From the official Olympic report on the Antwerp Games it can be deducted that the flag hanging in the stadium on August 14 was stolen but that the thieves had been caught. On August 20, Olympic flags were stolen from three places in the vicinity of the stadium. PRIESTE was supposed to have stolen his flag on August 29 – the day he won his bronze medal. The flag that PRIESTE handed over to the IOC has the measurements 135,5 by 94 centimetres. This alone proves that this cannot be the original much larger flag (about three by six metres) which was hanging in the stadium." / "The correction that PRIESTE could not have stolen the large flag that was hanging in the stadium is not included in his detailed obituary in the Revue Olympique (”Haig 'Harry' Prieste”, in Revue Olympique 30[2001]39, p.90)." -->

==== Oslo flag ====

The Oslo flag was presented to the IOC by the mayor of [[Oslo]], Norway, during the [[1952 Winter Olympics]]. Between 1952 and 2014, the flag was passed to the next organising city for the [[Winter Olympics]], with its last appearance in Sochi at the [[2014 Winter Olympics]]. Currently, the actual Oslo flag is kept preserved in a special box, and in its last appearances from Torino 2006 to Sochi 2014) replicas had been used instead.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/the-olympic-flags-and-emblem_38344IZ.html| title=Vancouver 2010: The Olympic Flags and Emblem| quote=Because it is so precious, and must be preserved for years to come, the Oslo flag is not used during the actual Closing Ceremony. Instead, a replica flag is traditionally used.| access-date=1 March 2010| archive-date=28 February 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228141124/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/the-olympic-flags-and-emblem_38344IZ.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Seoul flag ====

[[File:Skoreaandolympicflag.jpg|thumb|[[Flag of South Korea]] alongside an Olympic Flag in [[Olympic Park, Seoul]]]]
As a successor to the Antwerp Flag,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/the-olympic-flags-and-emblem_38344IZ.html| title=Vancouver 2010: The Olympic Flags and Emblem| quote=The successor to the Antwerp Flag, the Seoul flag was presented to the IOC at the 1988 Olympic Games in the Seoul Summer Olympics, South Korea.| access-date=1 March 2010| archive-date=28 February 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228141124/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/the-olympic-flags-and-emblem_38344IZ.html| url-status=dead}}</ref> the Seoul flag was presented to the IOC at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] by the city of [[Seoul]], South Korea. It was passed on to the next organising cities of the [[Summer Olympics]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=III |first=Aloysius M. O’Neill |date=2018-02-08 |title=The 1988 Olympics in Seoul: A Triumph of Sport and Diplomacy - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea |url=https://www.38north.org/2018/02/aoneill020818/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=38 North |language=en |archive-date=1 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201051756/https://www.38north.org/2018/02/aoneill020818/ |url-status=live }}</ref> between 1988 and 2012. Its last appearance was in London at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].

==== Rio de Janeiro flag ====

As a successor to the Seoul Flag,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1040944/olympic-flag-arrives-in-tokyo-ahead-of-2020-games| title=Olympic Flag arrives in Tokyo ahead of 2020 Games| date=24 August 2016| quote=Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes handed the Flag over to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike during the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony at the Maracanã Stadium on Sunday (August 21).| access-date=11 September 2016| archive-date=27 August 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827093346/http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1040944/olympic-flag-arrives-in-tokyo-ahead-of-2020-games| url-status=live}}</ref> the Rio de Janeiro flag was presented to the IOC at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] by the city of [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil. It has since been passed to the next organising cities of the [[Summer Olympics]].<ref name="imbo">{{cite web |last1=Imbo |first1=Will |title=The tradition of the Olympic flag handover ceremony |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/the-tradition-of-the-olympic-flag-handover-ceremony |website=International Olympic Committee News |access-date=25 February 2022 |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925095929/https://olympics.com/en/news/the-tradition-of-the-olympic-flag-handover-ceremony |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Pyeongchang flag ====

As a successor to the Oslo Flag,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1062065/olympic-flag-arrives-at-great-wall-of-china-as-beijing-looks-ahead-to-2022-winter-games| title=Olympic flag arrives at Great Wall of China as Beijing looks ahead to 2022 Winter Games| date=28 February 2018| quote=IOC President Thomas Bach, centre, takes over the Olympic flag from the Mayor of Pyeongchang, Sim Jae-guk, and hands it to Mayor of Beijing Chen Jining during the Closing Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The flag has now arrived in Beijing.| access-date=28 February 2018| archive-date=1 March 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301005241/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1062065/olympic-flag-arrives-at-great-wall-of-china-as-beijing-looks-ahead-to-2022-winter-games| url-status=live}}</ref> the Pyeongchang flag was presented to the IOC at the [[2018 Winter Olympics]] by the city of [[Pyeongchang]], South Korea. It has since been passed to the [[2026 Winter Olympics|next organizing city]] of the [[Winter Olympics]].<ref name="imbo" />

==== Singapore flag ====

For the inaugural [[Youth Olympic Games]], an Olympic flag was created for the junior version of the Games. The flag is similar to the Olympic flag, but has the host city and year on it and was first presented to Singapore by [[IOC]] President [[Jacques Rogge]].<ref name="singapore">{{cite web| url=http://gamesbids.com/eng/youth-olympic-bids/other-youth-olympic-news/singapore-2010-presented-with-special-olympic-flag/| title=Singapore 2010 Presented With Special Olympic Flag| date=13 August 2010| publisher=Gamebids.com| access-date=29 December 2015| archive-date=7 January 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107230741/http://gamesbids.com/eng/youth-olympic-bids/other-youth-olympic-news/singapore-2010-presented-with-special-olympic-flag/| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="singapore2">{{cite web| url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1075051/1/.html| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728113202/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1075051/1/.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=28 July 2012| title=S'pore presented with special Olympic flag| date=13 August 2010| publisher=[[Channel NewsAsia]]}}</ref> During the closing ceremony on 26 August 2010, Singapore officials presented it to the next organising committee, [[Nanjing 2014]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://english.sina.com/sports/2010/0826/336406.html| title=Olympic flag handed to mayor of Nanjing| date=27 August 2010| publisher=[[Sina Corp]]| access-date=30 September 2010| archive-date=13 May 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513091427/https://english.sina.com/sports/2010/0826/336406.html| url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Innsbruck flag ====

For the inaugural winter [[Youth Olympic Games]], an Olympic flag was presented to the IOC at the [[2012 Winter Youth Olympics]] by the city of [[Innsbruck]], [[Austria]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2012-01-22 |title=Innsbruck 2012 brought to close as Olympic flag passed to Lillehammer 2016 |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/15591/innsbruck-2012-brought-to-close-as-olympic-flag-passed-to-lillehammer-2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210182618/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/15591/innsbruck-2012-brought-to-close-as-olympic-flag-passed-to-lillehammer-2016 |archive-date=2015-12-10 |access-date=2025-09-07}}</ref> It has since been passed on to the next organising city of the Winter Youth Olympics.<ref name=":0" />

== Flame and torch relay ==
{{Main|Olympic flame}}
[[File:Olympic flame at opening ceremony.jpg|alt=|thumb|The Olympic flame at [[2004 Summer Olympics|Athens 2004]] during the opening ceremony.]]
The modern tradition of moving the Olympic flame via a relay system from Greece to the Olympic venue began with the Berlin Games in 1936. The organizers in Nazi Germany thought to use the Olympic torch relay as a propaganda tool to link ancient Greek ideals with the modern German state.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43610440 | jstor=43610440 | last1=Howell | first1=Reet A. | title=Reviewed work: The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games, Allen Guttmann | journal=Journal of Sport History | date=1993 | volume=20 | issue=1 | pages=81–83 }}</ref> Today, the relay symbolizes peace and unity, with the International Olympic Committee overseeing its organization.<ref>https://www.olympics.com/ioc/olympic-rings</ref> Months before the Games are held, the Olympic flame is lit on a torch, with the rays of the sun concentrated by a [[parabolic reflector]], at the site of the Ancient Olympics in [[Olympia, Greece]]. The torch is then taken out of Greece, most often to be taken around the country or continent where the Games are held. The Olympic torch is carried by athletes, leaders, celebrities, and ordinary people alike, and at times in unusual conditions, such as being electronically transmitted via satellite for [[Montreal 1976]], submerged underwater without being extinguished for [[2000 Summer Olympics|Sydney 2000]], or in space and at the [[North Pole]] for [[Sochi 2014]]. On the final day of the torch relay, the day of the [[Olympic Games ceremony#Opening|opening ceremony]], the flame reaches the main stadium and is used to light a cauldron situated in a prominent part of the venue to signify the beginning of the Games.

== Medals and diplomas ==
{{Main|Olympic medal|Olympic diploma}}
Olympic medals and diplomas are awarded to the highest-finishing competitors in each event at the Olympic Games. The medals are made of [[gold-plated]] silver (for the [[gold medal]]s), silver, or [[bronze]], and are awarded to the top three finishers in a particular event. Each medal for an Olympiad has a common design, decided upon by the organisers for the particular games. For medals awarded at Summer Games, the obverse side has an image of [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]], the Greek goddess of victory, holding a palm in her left hand and a winner's crown in her right, and the [[Colosseum]] in Rome in the background. In contrast, at Winter Games the creators of the medals have complete freedom to choose their designs.

The original medal design, created by [[Giuseppe Cassioli]], was used from the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] to the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]. The design underwent a drastic change for the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], when Cassioli's design was replaced by a more modern design connected to Greece. The obverse side was changed to make more explicit references to the Greek goddess and traditions. In this design, the goddess Nike flies into the grounds of the [[Panathenaic Stadium]], symbolizing the renewal of the Games. The new design was created by Greek jewelry designer [[Elena Votsi]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Juergen Wagner |url=http://olympic-museum.de/w_medals/wmed2004.htm |title=Olympic Games Winner Medal 2004 |publisher=Olympic-museum.de |date=2 July 2003 |access-date=31 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111105048/http://olympic-museum.de/w_medals/wmed2004.htm |archive-date=11 January 2011}}</ref>

For each Summer Olympics from 2004 onwards, the reverse side, as well as the labels for each Olympiad, were changed to reflect scenic images or locations from the host city.

[[Olympic diploma]]s are given to competitors placing fourth, fifth, and sixth since 1949, and to competitors placing seventh and eighth since 1981.

== Anthems ==
{{Main|Olympic Hymn|List of Olympic songs and anthems}}
The "[[Olympic Hymn]]", officially known as the "Olympic Anthem", is played when the Olympic flag is raised. It was composed by [[Spyridon Samaras]] with words from a poem by the Greek poet and writer [[Kostis Palamas]]. Both the poet and the composer were the choice of [[Demetrius Vikelas]], a Greek [[Pro-European]] and the first President of the IOC. The anthem was performed for the first time for the opening ceremony of the [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896 Athens Olympic Games]] but was not declared the official hymn by the IOC until 1958. In the following years, every hosting location commissioned the composition of a specific Olympic hymn for their edition of the Games until the [[1960 Winter Olympics]] in Squaw Valley.

Other notable Olympic anthems and fanfares include:
[[File:AarreMerikanto1952.jpg|thumb|The composer of the 1952 Olympic Fanfare, [[Aarre Merikanto]], at [[Helsinki Olympic Stadium]] during the games.]]

* "{{lang|de|[[Olympische Hymne]]|italics=no}}": A composition for orchestra and mixed chorus composed by [[Richard Strauss]] for the [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin Summer Olympics]].
* The "Olympic Fanfare" for the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics]]: this was originally composed by [[Aarre Merikanto]] for the [[1940 Summer Olympics]], which were cancelled. Merikanto's "Olympic Fanfare" won the fanfare contest organized in [[Finland]] in 1939, but the score was lost for over a decade. When rediscovered in 1951, it was decided to use it in 1952. It was recorded in 1953.<ref>{{cite book| last=Heikinheimo| first=Seppo| title=Aarre Merikanto: Säveltäjänkohtalo itsenäisessä Suomessa| pages=465, 467, 473, 479| language=fi| location=Helsinki| publisher=WSOY| year=1985| isbn=951-0-13319-1|trans-title=Aarre Merikanto: The vicissitudes of a composer in an independent Finland}}</ref>
* "[[Bugler's Dream]]": Written in 1958 by [[Leo Arnaud]] as part of his ''Charge Suite''. the theme is often thought of by Americans as the "Olympic Theme" due to its usage in television coverage by [[Olympics on ABC|ABC]] and [[Olympics on NBC|NBC]], starting with the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
* The "Olympic March": The theme written by [[Yūji Koseki]] for the [[Tokyo]] [[1964 Summer Olympics]] theme song.
* "Olympic Fanfare 1972": The winning submission for the [[Munich]] [[1972 Summer Olympics]] theme song, used as the TV signature tune of the German Olympic Center ({{langx|de|Deutsches Olympia-Zentrum}}) and the prelude to the medal ceremonies, composed by [[Herbert Rehbein]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C234| title=Herbert Rehbein| publisher=[[Songwriters Hall of Fame]]| year=1993| access-date=29 December 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107230741/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C234| archive-date=7 January 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref> It was performed by the [[Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra|Orchestra of the Bavarian Broadcasting Company]] ({{langx|de|Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks}}) and members of the [[United States Air Force Band|Air Force Band]] [[Neubiberg Air Base|Neubiberg]], conducted by Willy Mattes.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}
* "Olympic Fanfare and Theme": Composed by [[John Williams (composer)|John Williams]] for the Los Angeles [[1984 Summer Olympics]]. The theme was performed in the opening ceremonies by the [[United States Army Band|United States Army Herald Trumpets]] conducted by then-Captain David Deitrick.<ref>{{cite book| last=Guegold| first=William K.| title=100 Years of Olympic Music (Music and Musicians of the Modern Olympic Games 1896–1996)| publisher=Golden Clef Publishing | date=1996| pages=56–58| isbn=0-9652371-0-9 }}</ref> The first recording, performed by an orchestra composed of Los Angeles-area musicians, was released in its entirety on the LP and cassette album ''The Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles 1984''. There was a concurrent Japan-only CD release. The piece went on to win a [[Grammy Awards of 1985|Grammy]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.johnwilliams.org/compositions/olympicfanfare.html |title=The John Williams Web Pages: Olympic Fanfare and Theme |publisher=Johnwilliams.org |access-date=31 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719064411/http://www.johnwilliams.org/compositions/olympicfanfare.html |archive-date=19 July 2011}}</ref> A slightly different arrangement of the piece was released on the Philips album ''By Request: The Best of John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra''. In 1996, an alternate version of "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" was released on the album ''Summon the Heroes'' for the [[1996 Summer Olympics|Atlanta Olympic Games]], replacing the first part of the piece with Arnaud's "Bugler's Dream". The theme was used at the [[2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games]] as the countries' flagbearers entered the [[BC Place Stadium|BC Place]] field surrounding the Olympic cauldron, and during the Oslo Ceremony when the Olympic flag was brought into the stadium by Vancouver Mayor [[Gregor Robertson (politician)|Gregor Robertson]].
* "The Olympic Spirit": The theme written by John Williams for the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympics]] in [[Seoul]] and used in the corresponding [[Olympics on NBC|NBC]] broadcasts.
* "[[Summon the Heroes]]": The theme written by John Williams for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]].
* "[[The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.|Theme from The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.]]": The theme song to this television show, composed by [[Randy Edelman]], was first used by NBC for teaser commercials and promo spots in [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]]. It was retired following the [[2016 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.altoriot.com/the-music-behind-nbcs-sochi-olympic-promos-the-greatest-sports-theme-no-one-can-name/|title=The Music Behind NBC's Sochi Olympic Promos - the Greatest Sports Theme No One Can Name - Alto Riot|access-date=27 January 2018|archive-date=13 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813130108/http://www.altoriot.com/the-music-behind-nbcs-sochi-olympic-promos-the-greatest-sports-theme-no-one-can-name/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* "[[Call of the Champions]]": The theme written by John Williams for the [[2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics]].

Several other composers have contributed Olympic music, including [[Henry Mancini]], [[Francis Lai]], [[Marvin Hamlisch]], [[Philip Glass]], [[David Foster]], [[Mikis Theodorakis]], [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], [[Vangelis]], [[Basil Poledouris]], [[Michael Kamen]], and [[Mark Watters]].

== Kotinos ==
{{main|Olive wreath}}
The {{lang|el|kotinos}} ({{langx|el|κότινος}}),<ref>{{cite book| title=κότινος| trans-title=Olive Branch| work=A Greek–English Lexicon| language=el| url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dko%2Ftinos| first1=Henry George| last1=Liddell| first2=Robert| last2=Scott| publisher=Clarendon Press| year=1940| archive-date=3 March 2022| access-date=20 February 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303012043/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dko%2Ftinos| url-status=live}}</ref> is an [[olive]] branch, originally of wild olive-tree, intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe, introduced by [[Heracles]].<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Description of Greece, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+5.7.7&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 5.7.7] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303013547/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+5.7.7&fromdoc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 |date=3 March 2022 }}</ref> In the [[ancient Olympic Games]] there were no [[gold medal#Olympic Games|gold]], silver, or bronze medals. There was only one winner per event, crowned with an olive wreath made of wild olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus at Olympia. The victorious athletes were honored, feted, and praised. Their deeds were heralded and chronicled so that future generations could appreciate their accomplishments.

According to the Greek historian [[Herodotus]], the Persian King [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes]] was interrogating some [[Regions of ancient Greece#Arcadia|Arcadian]]s after the [[Battle of Thermopylae]]. He inquired why there were so few Greek men defending Thermopylae. The answer was "All other men are participating in the Olympic Games". When asked "What is the prize for the winner?", he was told "an olive-wreath". [[Tigranes]], one of his generals, replied "Good heavens! [[Mardonius (general)|Mardonius]], what kind of men are these against whom you have brought us to fight? Men who do not compete for possessions, but for honour."<ref>Herodotus, The Histories, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hdt.+8.26&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126 Hdt. 8.26] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606225958/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hdt.+8.26&fromdoc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0126 |date=6 June 2021 }}</ref> 

In his play [[Plutus (play)|Plutus]], the Greek playwright [[Aristophanes]] suggested that the wreath being made of wild olive instead of gold signified that Zeus hoards his gold for himself.<ref>[[Aristophanes]], [[Plutus (play)|Plutus]], 585.</ref>

In later times, athletes were rewarded with a generous sum of money as well as the {{lang|el|kotinos}}. The {{lang|el|kotinos}} tradition was renewed specifically for the Athens 2004 Games, although in this case it was bestowed together with the gold medal. Apart from its use in the awards ceremonies, the {{lang|el|kotinos}} was chosen as the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] emblem.

== Olympic salute ==

[[File:GraRuebAmsterdam.JPG|thumb|''The Olympic Salute'' sculpted by [[Gra Rueb]], sculpted for the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] in Amsterdam]]
The Olympic salute is a variant of the [[Roman salute]], with the right arm and hand stretched and pointing upward, the palm outward and downward, with the fingers touching. However, unlike the Roman salute, the arm is raised higher and at an angle to the right from the shoulder.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The greeting is visible on the official posters of the [[1924 Summer Olympics|Paris 1924]]<ref name="1924poster">{{cite web|last=Droit|first=Jean|year=1924|title=Paris 1924 - Jeux Olympiques|url=http://olympic-museum.de/poster/poster1924.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829002316/http://olympic-museum.de/poster/poster1924.htm|archive-date=29 August 2010|access-date=15 March 2010|publisher=Olympic Games Museum}}</ref> and [[1936 Summer Olympics|Berlin 1936]] games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://olympic-museum.de/poster/poster1936.htm|title=Olympic Games 1936 Berlin: Poster|year=1936|publisher=Olympic Games Museum|access-date=29 December 2015|archive-date=14 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114192225/http://www.olympic-museum.de/poster/poster1936.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Olympic salute has fallen out of use since [[World War II]] because of its resemblance to the [[Nazi salute]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/08/the-official-olympic-salute-stopped-being-popularly-used-after-wwii-due-to-strongly-resembling-the-heil-hitler-salute/|title=The Official Olympic Salute Stopped Being Popularly Used After WWII Due to Strongly Resembling the "Heil Hitler" Salute|date=2012-08-08|work=Today I Found Out|access-date=2017-09-14|language=en-US|archive-date=10 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910115407/http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/08/the-official-olympic-salute-stopped-being-popularly-used-after-wwii-due-to-strongly-resembling-the-heil-hitler-salute|url-status=live}}</ref> It was used by the French team at the opening ceremony of the [[1948 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfaFnZ6sEnY&feature=youtu.be&t=795 |title=Full St. Moritz 1948 Official film |website=youtube.com |time=13:15 to 13:20 |access-date=26 August 2020 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303012044/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfaFnZ6sEnY&feature=youtu.be&t=795 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{Clear}}

== Mascots ==
{{See also|List of Olympic mascots}}
Since the [[1968 Winter Olympics]] in [[Grenoble]], France, the [[Olympic Games]] have had a [[mascot]]. This is usually an animal native to the area, or occasionally human figures representing the cultural heritage. The first major mascot in the Olympic Games was [[Misha]] at the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] in Moscow. Misha was used extensively during the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as having a TV animated cartoon and appearing on several merchandise products. Nowadays, most of the merchandise aimed at young people focuses on the mascots, rather than the Olympic flag or organization logos.

== Intellectual property ==

The Olympic movement is very protective of its symbols. Many jurisdictions have given the movement exclusive trademark rights to any interlocking arrangement of five rings and usage of the word "Olympic". The rings are not eligible for copyright protection{{where|date=March 2024}}, both because of their date of creation and because five circles arranged in a pattern do not reach the [[threshold of originality]] required to be copyrighted.

The movement has taken action against numerous groups alleged to have violated their trademarks, including the [[Gay Games]]; the [[Minneapolis]]-based band [[The Hopefuls]], formerly The Olympic Hopefuls; the Redneck Olympics or [[Redneck Games]]; [[Awana|Awana Clubs International]], a Christian youth ministry who used the term for its competitive games; [[Wizards of the Coast]], publisher at the time of the card game ''[[Legend of the Five Rings]]''; and Philippine sporting good chain Olympic Village.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ayalin |first1=Adrian |title=CA affirms ruling vs Filipino company's use of 'Olympic Village' |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/6/ca-affirms-ruling-vs-filipino-company-s-use-of-olympic-village-1223 |access-date=11 May 2024 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=6 May 2024 |archive-date=11 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511052758/https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/6/ca-affirms-ruling-vs-filipino-company-s-use-of-olympic-village-1223 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1938, the Norwegian brewery Frydenlund patented a label for its root beer which featured the five Olympic rings. In 1952, when Norway was to host the Winter Olympics, the Olympic Committee was notified by Norway's Patent Office that it was Frydenlund that owned the rights to the rings in that country. Today, the successor company [[Ringnes|Ringnes AS]] owns the rights to use the patented five rings on its root beer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://search.patentstyret.no/Trademark/31784/26743?searchId=472094&caseIndex=9|title=Norwegian Patent Office record of the Frydenlund patent, showing the design|date=1 November 1938|access-date=20 November 2016|archive-date=5 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105223512/https://search.patentstyret.no/Trademark/31784/26743?searchId=472094&caseIndex=9|url-status=dead}} Ringnes is the family name of the company's founders.</ref> In addition, a few other companies have been successful in using the Olympic name, such as Olympic Paint, which has a paintbrush in the form of a torch as its logo, and the former Greek passenger carrier [[Olympic Airlines]].

Certain other sporting organisations and events have been granted permission by the IOC to use the word "Olympics" in their name, such as the [[Special Olympics]], an international sporting event held every four years for people with intellectual disabilities.

The IOC maintains exclusive ownership and control of the use of Olympic symbols through an international treaty and the IOC's demand for the enactment of laws in hosting locations to grant special trademark protection to Olympic symbols.  In 1981, the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol, a treaty administered by the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]], was signed by fifty-two states.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ShowResults.jsp?lang=en&treaty_id=22|title=WIPO Lex|access-date=15 November 2020|archive-date=16 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116182918/https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ShowResults.jsp?lang=en&treaty_id=22|url-status=live}}</ref> All fifty-two signatories to the Nairobi Treaty became obligated under the treaty to protect Olympic symbols against use for commercial purposes without authorization of the IOC. Under the Nairobi Treaty, if the IOC authorizes use of an Olympic symbol in a country that is a party to the treaty, then that country's National Olympic Committee is entitled to a portion of any revenue generated from the IOC's authorisation of use. The Nairobi Treaty provides for a framework of international intellectual property protection of the licensure of all Olympic symbols.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/nairobi/|title=Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol|access-date=15 November 2020|archive-date=3 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303012048/https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/nairobi/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1984 |title=Records of the Nairobi Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol 1981. |url=https://tind.wipo.int/record/28771?ln=en&v=pdf |website=WIPO Knowledge Repository}}</ref>

In recent years, organising committees have also demanded the passing of laws to combat [[ambush marketing]] by non-official sponsors during the Games. This was seen with the [[London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006]], which put heavy restrictions on using any term or imagery that could constitute an unauthorized association with the games, including mere mentioning of the host city and the year.<ref name=independent-180712>{{cite news|last=Anderson |first=Steve |title=The Debate: Have Olympic sponsorship regulations gone too far? |url=http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/18/the-debate-have-olympic-sponsorship-regulations-gone-too-far/ |access-date=21 July 2012 |date=18 July 2012 |work=The Debate (blog)(The Independent) |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721030057/http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/18/the-debate-have-olympic-sponsorship-regulations-gone-too-far/ |archive-date=21 July 2012}}</ref><ref name=atalantic-130712>{{cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Feargus |title=The Pettiness of Olympic Branding |url=http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/06/pettiness-olympic-branding/2256/ |access-date=21 July 2012 |newspaper=[[The Atlantic]] |location=Washington D.C. |date=13 June 2012 |archive-date=17 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717072535/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/06/pettiness-olympic-branding/2256/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Bob Barney]] co-authored the book ''Selling the Five Rings'' (2002), with Stephen Wenn and Scott Martyn, which discussed the history of corporate sponsorships and television rights for the Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lectures by Olympic Historians Begin Aug. 30|date=August 19, 2001|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=D6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-2002-winter-olympi/129778162/|archive-date=14 August 2023|access-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814123823/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-2002-winter-olympi/129778162/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Arts in the spotlight|last=Romine-Peterson|first=Jessica|agency=|date=October 31, 2001|newspaper=[[Park Record]]|location=Park City, Utah|page=36|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-park-record-olympics-2001/129824070/|archive-date=14 August 2023|access-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814123910/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-park-record-olympics-2001/129824070/|url-status=live}}</ref> Barney argued that the Olympic torch had been commercialised since its inception in 1936, and that sponsors of the torch relay benefit from brand awareness. In contrast, the medal [[podium]] ceremonies, which began in 1932, had not become commercialized since no advertising is allowed inside Olympic venues.<ref>{{cite news|title=Olympic Torch Relay, Commercial to Begin With, Has Become More So, Historian Says|last=Hemphill|first=Lex|date=January 22, 2002|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=C4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-2002-winter-olympi/129778187/|archive-date=14 August 2023|access-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814123953/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-2002-winter-olympi/129778187/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Paralympic symbols]]
* [[Pierre de Coubertin Medal]]
* [[Olympiadane]]
* [[Olympicene]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Olympic symbols}}

* [[PBS]] The Real Olympics, 2004.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du0Sej0iFqM the Raising of the Olympic flag in London, 26 September 2008]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060301175139/http://olympic.webteka.com/all_mascots.htm Olympic Files - Mascots (in Russian)]
* Bear Cub Misha Lover's Association, [[1980 Summer Olympics]] mascot ''Misha'''s fan page (in Japanese)

{{Olympic symbols|state=expanded}}
{{International Olympic Committee}}
{{Olympic Games}}
{{Youth Olympic Games}}

{{Portal bar|Olympics}}

[[Category:Olympic symbols| ]]