The five-colored interlinked rings are the official logo of the Olympic Games. It represents the five regions of the world namely Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. But for every single edition of the Olympics, there will be a unique logo made by the host country blending the customary Olympic symbols and the tradition of the country. Here we present the list of 44 Olympics logos from 1924 to 2020 and the meaning behind it.
Summer Olympics
1924 Paris Olympics Logos
Meaning: Represents the Paris coat of arms
1932 Los Angeles Olympics Logos
Basically, it represents the American flag in the form of a shield. The 13 stars represent the thirteen founding states of the US. The Olympic Motto is also included.
READ | The significance of Olympic flag & five Olympic rings
1936 Berlin Olympics Logos
These Olympic Games were held in Berlin during the Nazi regime so the logo includes the Nazi symbol of the Eagle. The writing beneath the symbol says “I call the youth of the world”
1948 London Olympics Logos
A pretty self-explanatory emblem. The Olympic logo is inserted on the sketch of the House of Parliament of UK, popularly known as Big Ben.
READ | 48 Amazing Olympic Facts That Will Blow Your Mind
1952 Helsinki Olympics Logos
The logo is made out of only blue and white colours which are the colours of the Finnish flag. The building in the background is the Olympic Stadium at Helsinki.
1956 Melbourne Olympics Logos
The Olympic torch was featured in a logo for the first time in the Melbourne Olympics. The torch is in between the Olympic rings and the silhouette of Australia.
READ | India at Olympics | Top 15 Indian Olympic Winners
1960 Rome Olympics Logos
The logo of the 1960 Rome Olympics was the first to include an animal in the logo and to use a different Numeric system to present the year. The wolf and the children in the logo come from the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus.
1964 Tokyo Olympics Logos
One of the most minimalistic emblems of the Olympics. The 1964 Olympics just featured the Japanese flag which itself represents the rising sun.
READ | The Significance of Olympic Torch and Olympic Flame
1968 Mexico Olympics Symbol
The 1968 Olympics had this logo which is just “Mexico 68” with no graphics or pictures in the background. The Olympic rings on top of the ‘68’ seems a bit ill-suited.
1972 Munich Olympics Symbol
After a dark chapter of hosting the Olympics during the Nazi era, the Munich Olympics had a colorful logo representing the bright sun.
READ | List of Olympic Mascots 1972 – 2020 | All you need to know
1976 Montreal Olympics Symbol
Another simple Olympic logo. The Olympic rings are modified from the circumferences to make the ‘M’ letter of Montreal.
1980 Moscow Olympics Symbol
Being the first communist country to host the Olympics, the logo was obviously in red. The star at the top is also of political significance and the line seems like a running track which then becomes a tower representing the city of Moscow.
READ | The Evolution of Archery Game | All you need to know
1984 Los Angeles Olympics Sign
These stars in blue, white, and red represent the American flag. The logo was named as ‘Stars in Motion”.
1988 Seoul Olympics Sign
The symbol in this logo is called the samtaeguk pattern. This pattern is very famous in Korea and it represents harmony, happiness, and prosperity.
1992 Barcelona Olympics Sign
Above the Olympic rings and the host city name is an abstract drawing showing a leaping athlete. The drawing seems to be made of brushstrokes which could be a sign of Spain’s great history of painters.
READ | Gymnastics: All you need to know about the sport
1996 Atlanta Olympics Logos
The Atlanta Olympics celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Modern Olympics. The logo depicts the Olympic torch and the flame transforms into stars representing the United States. There is also a ‘100’ Below the Olympic rings signifying the centennial event.
2000 Sydney Olympics Logos
The logo of the Sydney Olympics has hidden indications of the history and heritage of Australia. At first sight, it looks like an athlete running with a flag. The blue flag in its stroke style signifies the Opera House at Sydney. The yellow color indicates the sun and the orange legs are like a boomerang which symbolizes the Aborigines of Australia.
2004 Athens Olympics Logos
With the motto “Welcome Home” the 2004 Olympic logo went ancient with a drawing of an olive wreath. Not only does it represent the roots of the Olympics, but the drawing seems like a process of growth. It is interpreted as the “circle of life”.
READ | How to play Volleyball? All you need to know
2008 Beijing Olympics Symbol
Named as “Dancing Beijing” the white character in the logo is called ‘jing’ which means capital. So, it means that the capital city is dancing.
2012 London Olympics
One of the most criticized Olympic logos. The London Olympics logo of 2012 is just abstract closed shapes intended to show the year 2012 but hardly comprehensible. The blazing color seems to symbolize energy and explosive excitement.
2016 Rio Olympics Symbol
The logo shows three people holding hands and looping over each other. The colors of the people are green, yellow, and blue which are the major colors of the Brazilian flag. It displays the harmony and diversity of the people of Rio.
2020 Tokyo Olympics Sign
The checkered logo of Tokyo Olympics 2020 means “Unity in Diversity”. The rectangular shapes are of different dimensions but they all align perfectly to form a complete circle. Also, the indigo color in Japan’s tradition signifies elegance.
Winer Olympics
Lake Placid – Winter Olympics Logos 1932
Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Winter Olympics Logos 1936
St. Moritz – Winter Olympics Logos 1948
Oslo – Winter Olympics Logos 1952
Cortina d’Ampezzo – Winter Olympics Logos 1956
Squaw Valley, California – Winter Logos 1960
Innsbruck – Winter Olympics Symbol 1964
Grenoble – Winter Olympics Symbol 1968
Sapporo – Winter Olympics Symbol 1972
Innsbruck – Winter Olympics Symbol 1976
Lake Placid – Winter Olympics Symbol 1980
Sarajevo – Winter Olympics Sign 1984
Calgary – Winter Olympics Sign 1988
Albertville – Winter Olympics Sign 1992
Lillehammer – Winter Olympics Sign 1994
Nagano – Winter Olympics Sign 1998
Salt Lake City – Winter Olympics Sign 2002
Torino – Winter Olympics Sign 2006
Vancouver – Winter Olympics Sign 2010
Sochi – Winter Olympics Symbol 2014
PyeongChang – Winter Olympics Logos 2018
Beijing – Winter Olympics Symbol 2022
