Olympics Logo PNG
The competition emblem symbolizes unification. The Olympic logo symbolizes the commonwealth of participating countries, the teamwork of athletes, and the various competitions that make up a single sporting event.
Meaning and History
International competitions are associated with an ancient Greek tradition. It is believed to have begun in 776 BC. NS. The Greeks began to organize sports events with religious overtones. They were held every four years; the period between them was called the Olympiad and served as a special system for measuring time. The location has always been the same: the small town of Olympia. Organized ritual competitions honored the supreme god Zeus, and the winners were immortalized in statues. With the arrival of the Romans, the Olympic Games were banned as a pagan practice.
The multi-sport events were not restored until 1894, although others had tried to revive them. Gradually, the competition was divided into two seasons because it was impossible to show winter sports in the summer. As it developed, the Olympics had its symbols, including talismans, slogans, and hymns. One symbol was an emblem featuring five rings. It is still used today, decorating the flag since 1913.
What are the Olympics?
These international sports events have existed since the 19th century. They follow a schedule and occur once every four years. The first competitions took place in Greece (1896) and, more recently, in Japan (2021).
1913 – 1986
Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee, created almost all the games’ symbols. He was an intellectual, historian, and educator. Pierre considered physical education the most important thing in schooling, as in Ancient Greece. He never managed to introduce his ideas into the French education system, but he revived the Olympics, which he always romanticized.
As a result, Pierre de Coubertin created the famous logo of five interconnected rings in different colors. They were originally colored green, yellow, red, black, and blue. So, the designer tied the flags of competing countries together, taking several colors from each. At the same time, the rings corresponded to the continents and were intended to highlight the competition’s global nature.
Rumors suggested the five-ringed symbol had ancient Greek origins. Two American TV presenters who came to Delphi and saw similar rings carved in stone at the stadium allowed them in. As it turned out, these attributes did not appear under the Greeks, but in 1936, a ceremony of standard-bearers was held in Delphi in honor of the next games.
When creating the Olympic emblem, Pierre de Coubertin drew inspiration not from Ancient Greece’s history. He created a five-ring symbol similar to the USFSA logo, featuring two intertwined red and blue rings. The Olympic Games flag officially debuted in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. Because of the lack of standardization, the pattern could vary in row height, density, and line width. The IOC adopted the final version in 1957. The IOC members approved it as the most successful modification of the original.
1986 – 2010
An unknown designer developed the new emblem. The International Olympic Committee instructed designers to leave empty spaces at the joints of the rings so the five elements would not merge, as required by the printing technology of the time. Only one-color versions of the logo remained solid.
2010 – today
In 2010, the empty areas between the rings were painted over. The artists restored the Olympic symbol’s integrity and brought it closer to the original created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. The modern version differs from the old one with its thin, neat lines. The colors have not changed; designers have only updated the shades.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Logo
Developers adapt the Olympic emblem for each game, so each season has its own decals. At the same time, traditional rings always appear in all versions. They are usually shown below the host city’s symbol.
Organizers create these identity elements 4-5 years before the event begins. The original logo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was unveiled in 2015. It had a T-shape and the city’s name to represent the team tomorrow. However, Kenjiro Sanro’s proposed symbol was never used. Another designer said his work resembled the chosen emblem and sued for damages. In response, the organizers of the international sporting event reversed their decision and re-ran the competition to select the best logo.
In 2016, Asao Tokolo’s version won. At first glance, this is a simple abstraction, but it has a hidden meaning. The checkered pattern conveys unity. It consists of squares and two types of rectangles, symbolizing diversity. The quadrangular figures are arranged in a circle and painted indigo blue, a color characteristic of Japanese culture. Below, the inscription “TOKYO 2020” appears between the graphic element and the Olympic rings.
Font and Colors
Intertwining rings work well for an international event because they represent connection. They are arranged in two rows in the shape of the letter “W.” The psychoanalyst and psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung also noted their symbolism, considering interlocking rings long before the Olympic Games logo was created as a personification of people and continuity. Similar motifs appear in other spheres of life, such as Freemasonry, marriage rituals, and sacred geometry. This idea draws on the Vesica Piscis, a mathematical form created by the intersection of two identical discs.
The logo’s lettering changes every four years as the host cities develop their identities. But the five-ringed symbol always has a traditional shape and a classic palette. Each segment has a different color: red, green, black, yellow, and blue. They represent the five continents whose inhabitants take part in international sports competitions.
At the same time, colors are not tied to specific parts of the world because Pierre de Coubertin did not assign them that meaning. He chose the palette on a different principle. The “father” of the Olympics sought to ensure that the six colors could represent the flags of all countries worldwide. That is, if the rings represent inhabited continents, then their color scheme symbolizes individual states.