Learn all about the symbols that make the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games famous.
Learn all about:
- The Olympic and Paralympic Flame
- The Olympic Rings and Paralympic Symbol
- The Olympic and Paralympic Flags
- The Olympic and Paralympic Mottoes
- The Olympic Creed and Paralympic Vision
- Mascots
The Olympic and Paralympic Flames
The Olympic Flame is lit for the whole of the Games. This tradition started with the Ancient Greeks who used a flame that they lit from the sun’s rays at Olympia, the site of the first Games. The flame is still lit from the sun’s rays in Olympia, which is then used in the Olympic Torch Relay. When it arrives at the stadium, the Olympic Cauldron is lit. The flame stays lit for the whole of the Games.
Unlike the Olympic Flame and its links to Olympia in Greece, the Paralympic Flame has no historical home, so each Host City can choose a lighting site that is important to their nation.
In Australia, the flame was lit in front of Parliament House in Canberra. The Paralympic Flame then toured Australia’s capital cities until it arrived at Stadium Australia for the Opening Ceremony.
The Olympic Rings
The Olympic Rings represent the five major continents which come together for the Games. These are Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe. They are linked to represent the athletes of the world who meet at the Games.
The five Olympic Rings were designed in 1913.
The Paralympic Symbol
The red, blue and green of this symbol are the most widely used in flags around the world. The symbol is in motion, around a centre point.
The IPC at the centre stands for International Paralympic Committee who bring athletes together from around the world. The symbol also shows Paralympic athletes moving forward and never giving up.
The Olympic and Paralympic Flags are raised at the Opening Ceremonies of each Games.
The Opening Ceremony happens on the first day of the Games and the sports stadium is filled with music, singing and dancing. The flag is lowered at the Closing Ceremony at the end of the Games.
On the Olympic Flag, the rings are shown on a white background. There are six colours, including the white, on the flag. When the flag was designed in 1913, these colours represented all the colours in all the national flags from countries who were part of the Olympic Movement.
On the Paralympic Flag, the red, blue and green of the symbol are the most widely used colours in flags around the world.
At the end of the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games, the Mayor of the city that organised them returns the flag to the President of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee, who then passes it on to the Mayor of the next city who will host the Games four years later. This ceremony is known as the ‘Antwerp Ceremony’ because this is where the tradition started.
The Olympic Motto
The Olympic motto is ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’. This is Latin for ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’.
The Paralympic Motto
The Paralympic motto is ‘Spirit in motion’.
The Olympic Creed
A creed is a set of beliefs that have an effect on someone’s actions. The Olympic Creed says:
‘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.’
The Paralympic Vision
‘To enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to inspire and excite the world.’
Mascots
Since the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France, each Games has had a mascot. This might be an animal that is native to the country or a human figure that represents the culture of that country. Here are some examples of mascots from recent Games.
Olympic mascots
Fuwa, Beijing 2008
Five children the colours of the Olympic rings, representing the characteristics of the four national animals of China – the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope and the Swallow. Their names together, Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni, spell out “Welcome to Beijing”.
Meet the official London 2012 Olympic mascot. Watch the video to find out more about the London 2012 mascots and their story. See what they’re up to now, talk to them, become their friend, and share your mascot photos and videos.
Paralympic mascots
Fu Niu Lele
The official mascot of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The energetic cow represents friendship and the determination of Paralympians.
Meet the official London 2012 Paralympic mascot. Watch the video to find out more about the London 2012 mascots and their story. See what they’re up to now, talk to them, become their friend, and share your mascot photos and videos.
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