Coubertin Quote for Feb, 22
The six colors on the Olympic flag reproduce the colors of all the national flags that fly anywhere in the world in our time.Share
Among his many talents, Baron Pierre de Coubertin also turned out to be a great graphic designer. In 1913, he designed the Olympic rings and produced one of history's finest and most enduring symbols. Recognized today all over the world as a brilliant expression of human unity, the five rings made their first appearance on the Olympic flag at the Antwerp Olympic Games in 1920.
Across the last century, billions have admired the Olympic rings, which have become nearly ubiquitous, but few have seen the earliest sketches of the mark in the Baron's own hand. These two photos, taken in the Olympic library in Lausanne, depict his hand-drawn rings on a letter he wrote in July of 1913.
Here is the full quote of the Baron's description of the flag and the rings, which appeared in an article titled, The Educational Value of the Olympic Ceremony, published in the Bulletin du Bureau International de Pédagogie Sportive in 1931.
"The Olympic flag is white with five interlocking rings at the center. The rings are blue, yellow, black, green, and red, with the blue ring at the upper left nearest the pole. This design is symbolic, representing the five parts of the world united through Olympism. The six colors appearing on the flag reproduce the colors of all the national flags that fly anywhere in the world in our time."