Olympic Rings: In 1913, Baron Pierre de Coubertin came up with the idea for the symbol most closely associated with the Olympics, the Olympic Rings. Every ring stands for one of the five continents. Although there are seven continents, Antarctica is excluded and North America and South America are considered one.
The connection of the rings symbolizes the connection of the continents during the Games and the ideal of peace and brotherhood of the whole planet. The flag was first flown at the 1920 Olympic Games in Belgium. After each Olympics the flag is passed on to the new host city, where it is kept safe until it is flown, during the Olympics. The original Olympic flag was used until 1984, when Seoul presented a new flag to the IOC, made of Korean silk.
Olympic Torch: Beginning in 1934, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) introduced the Olympic flame with the idea that it would enrich the games. The torch-relay, starting with the flame lighting at ancient Olympia and arriving at the hosting city, would be a strong link between the ancient Olympic sites and the modern Olympic cities. The flame symbolizes the purity which embodies the eternal youth of the Olympic philosophy. The universal symbol of the flame would lead all competitors to understand that it is necessary to work towards the lasting unity of mankind.
Motto: The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for "Swifter, Higher and Stronger". The motto was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin on the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. De Coubertin borrowed it from his friend Henri Didon, a Dominican priest who, amongst other things, was an athletics enthusiast. The motto was introduced in 1924 at the Olympic Games in Paris.
An more informal well known motto, also introduced by De Coubertin, is "The most important thing is not to win but to take part!". De Coubertin got this motto from a sermon by the Bishop of Pennsylvania, during the 1908 London Games.
