It represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.

It consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions in one or in five different colours, which are, from left to right, blue, green, black, yellow and red.

It was originally designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Its five colours and the white background of the Olympic flag together represented at least one colour on all national flags of the world at the time of its design.