The Many Symbols of Olympic Tattoos
Many athletes have adorned themselves with symbols representing the Olympic games, hoping to give themselves luck in their sport of choice. Favored symbols include the Olympic rings or torch, or something representing the sport they participate in.
The Olympic flag with the world recognized five rings was originally created by Pierre De Coubertin in 1914.
It has a white background with five interlocked rings of blue, yellow, black, green and red.
The rings are supposed to represent the five continents of the earth, while the six colors are those of the national flags of all the countries that participated in the Olympic at that time.
There are many different symbols that can be associated with the Olympics; here are a few of them:
- Olympic Flag: a flag representing the five inhabited continents of the world, united by the spirit of the Olympics.
- Olympic Flame: a flame burning day and night during the Olympic Games.
- Olympic mascot: a native animal or a human figure that represents heritage of the place where the Olympic Games are held.
- Olympic motto: "Faster, Higher, Stronger". It was proposed by Pierr De Coubertinon during the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. Another motto that is more widely known is "The most important thing is not to win but to take part!" and was suggested by De Coubertin after he hear it during a sermon by the Bishop of Pennsylvania during the 1908 London Games.
- Olympic Creed: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
- Olympic Emblem: Every Olympic Games has its own emblem which usually combines the Olympic Rings with some elements of the host city and its culture.
Back to the complete list of tattoo designs and their meanings.
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