Sponsored Content SportsEngine, a brand from NBC Sports Next is the leading provider of Sport Relationship Management (SRM) software, empowering athletes, parents, coaches, and sports organization administrators with tools and services to manage their organizations and sports lives. Read SportsEngine stories History of the Olympic Rings March 17, 2021 | 1 minute, 15 seconds read Want to learn even more about the Olympic rings? Visit olympic.org/olympic-rings The Olympic Rings are a relatively modern addition to the Games. They first appeared in 1913 at the top of a letter written by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. In the letter he wrote, “These five rings represent the five parts of the world now won over to the cause of Olympism and ready to accept its fertile rivalries. Moreover, the six colors thus combined reproduce those of all the nations without exception.” An often-cited mistake is that each ring color represents individual content. Rather, the five colors combined with the white background represent the colors of the flags of all nations at that time, without exception. The rings are interlaced to show the meeting of the athletes of the world during each edition of the Olympic Games in a spirit of good friendship and fair and equal competition. Timeline of the Olympic Rings History of the Olympics Curious about how the Olympics started? Want to know what happens at the Opening Ceremonies? Read about the history of all the elements of the Olympic Games. History of the Ancient Olympic Games History of the Closing Ceremony History of the Opening Ceremony History of the Olympic Torch and the Olympic Flame History of the Olympic & Paralympic Mascots History of the Olympic Medals History of the Olympic Rings History of the Modern Olympic Games tags in this article Fan Olympics SportsEngine