What do the Olympic rings represent?

The five rings represent the inhabited continents of the world — Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas (North and South) and Oceania. From left to right, the colors on the official symbol are blue, yellow, black, green and red. As per 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.” In combination with the white background, the rings account for the colors of almost every flag in the world.

The symbol is based on a design first created by French historian Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. “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,” de Coubertin said of his creation. “What is more, the six colors thus combined reproduce those of all nations without exception. “The Olympic rings make for one of the most iconic and recognizable international sporting symbols. Simple, meaningful and versatile, it has been used as an icon for the Games for over 100 years.

Borrowed by Daheap from Sporting News.com