FLAG BEARERS
At each Olympic Games - winter and summer - each country's team is preceded into the Olympic stadium by an athlete or delegation representative bearing the country's flag. The flagbearer for the U.S. Olympic Team is normally chosen by the fellow athletes or respective team captains. The practice of carrying in the nations' flags first began at the 1908 Olympic Games in London.
U.S. OLYMPIC GAMES TEAM FLAG BEARERS
1908 Ralph Rose, Athletics
1912 George V. Bonhag, Athletics
1920 Patrick J. McDonald, Athletics
1924 Patrick J. McDonald, Athletics
1928 Lemuel (Bud) C. Houser, Athletics
1932 F. Morgan Taylor, Athletics
1936 Alfred A. Jochim, Gymnastics
1948 Ralph C. Craig, Yachting
1952 Norman C. Armitage, Fencing
1956 Norman C. Armitage, Fencing
Warren B. Wooford, Equestrian*
1960 Rafer L. Johnson, Athletics
1964 William Parry O'Brien, Athletics
1968 Janice Lee Romary, Fencing
1972 Olga Fikotova Connolly, Athletics
1976 Gary W. Hall, Swimming
1980 USA did not attend
1984 Edward Burke, Athletics
1988 Evelyn Ashford, Athletics
1992 Francie Larrieu Smith, Athletics
1996 Bruce Baumgartner, Wrestling
2000 Cliff Meidl, Canoe/Kayak
2004 Dawn Staley, Basketball
* Due to Australia's immigration laws for horses, the 1956 equestrian events were held in Stockholm, Sweden
TORCHBEARERS
The idea of lighting an Olympic flame for the duration of the Games derives from the ancient Greeks who used a flame lit by the sun's rays at Olympia, Greece, the site of the original Games. The concept was revived at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and has remained an Olympic tradition. Those who lit the Olympic Flame at Opening Ceremonies:
OLYMPIC GAMES TORCHBEARERS
1936 Fritz Schilgen, Germany
1948 John Mark, Great Britian
1952 Paavo Nurmi et Hannes Kolehmainen, Finland
1956 Ron Clarke, Australia
1960 Giancarlo Peris, Italy
1964 Yoshinori Sakai, Japan
1968 Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo, Mexico
1972 Günter Zahn, Germany
1976 Sandra Anderson, Canada
Stéphane Préfontaine, Canada
1980 Sergei Belov, Russia
1984 Rafer Johnson, USA
1988 Chung Son-man, Korea
Kim Won-tak, Korea
Son Mi-jong, Korea
1992 Antonio Rebollo, Spain
1996 Muhammad Ali, USA
2000 Cathy Freeman, Australia
2004 Nikos Galis, Greece
Dimitrios Domazos, Greece
Paraskevi Patoulidou, Greece
Akakios Kachiasvilis, Greece
Ioannis Melissanidis, Greece
Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, Greece
OLYMPIC OATH
The Olympic oath is a symbolic gesture of sportsmanship that began at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. One athlete from the host country takes an oath in the Opening Ceremonies on behalf of all athletes, pledging to uphold the Olympic spirit of competition and fair play. The athlete stands on the rostrum and, while holding a corner of the Olympic flag in his or her left hand, raises his or her right hand, and says:
"In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."
In a similar manner, and immediately after the athletes' oath is delivered, a judge from the host country mounts the rostrum and takes the following oath:
"In the name of all the judges and officials, I promise that we shall officiate in these Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship."
Both oath-takers are chosen by the host city's organizing committee and each is usually an athlete and judge from the host country. Athletes who have taken the athletes' oath at the Olympic Games:
OLYMPIC GAMES OATH TAKERS
1920 Victor Boin, Fencing/Water Polo
1924 Georges André, Athletics
1928 Henri Denis, Soccer
1932 George Calnan, Fencing, USA
1936 Rudolf Ismayr, Weightlifting
1948 Donald Finlay, Athletics
1952 Heikki Savolainen, Gymnastics
1956 John Landy, Athletics
1960 Adolfo Consolini, Athletics
1964 Takashi Ono, Gymnastics
1968 Pablo Lugo Garrido, Athletics
1972 Heidi Schuller, Athletics
1976 Pierre St. Jean, Weightlifting
1980 Nikolay Andrianov, Gymnastics
1984 Edwin Moses, Athletics, USA
1988 Hur Jae, Basketball
Son Mi-na, Team Handball
1992 Luis Doreste Blanco, Sailing
1996 Teresa Edwards, Basketball, USA
2000 Rechelle Hawkes, Field Hockey
2004 Zoï Dimoschaki, Swimming
OLYMPIC MOTTO
The Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Braver," but is universally accepted to mean "Swifter, Higher, Stronger."
OLYMPIC CREED
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not the 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 words of the Olympic Creed are attributed to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. De Coubertin adopted, and later quoted, the creed after hearing Ethelbert Talbot, the Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, speak at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 19, 1908, during the London Games. The service was given for the Olympic athletes, who were all invited. Talbot's exact words that day were: "The important thing in these Olympics is not so much winning as taking part."
OLYMPIC RINGS
The Olympic symbol - five interlocked rings - represents the union of the five original major continents (Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe) and the meeting of the athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. The five colors of the rings from left to right are blue, black and red across the top and yellow and green along the bottom. The colors of the rings are thought to have been chosen because at least one of these colors can be found in the flag of every nation.
OLYMPIC FLAG
The Olympic Flag has a plain white background with no border. In the center are the five interlocked Olympic rings. The flag was presented by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1914 at the Olympic Congress, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the International Olympic Committee. It was flown that year at Alexandria, Greece, but made its Olympic debut in 1920 at Antwerp. The "primary" Olympic flag was thus known as "the Antwerp flag." In 1984, Seoul presented a new Olympic flag (as the old was getting quite worn) to the IOC, which was first flown at the 1988 Olympic Games.
At the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the mayor of the Olympic host city presents the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next Olympic host city. The flag is then kept in the town hall of the host city until the next Olympic Games.
Olympic Hymn
The Olympic Hymn is played when the Olympic Flag is raised. The music was composed by Spirou Samara. The words were added by Costis of Greece in 1896.
"Immortal spirit of antiquity
Father of the true, beautiful and good
Descend, appear, shed over us thy light
Upon this ground and under this sky
Which has fits witnessed by unperishable fame.
"Give life and animation to those noble Games
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors
In the race and in the strife
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel.
"In thy light, plains, mountains and seas
Shine is a roseate hue and for a vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore thee
Oh immortal spirit of antiquity."
OLYMPIC MASCOTS
The first Olympic mascot made a discreet appearance at the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble. Its name was Schuss. The first mascot for the summer Games was Waldi, the dachshund of the 1972 Munich Games. The Olympic mascot, however successful, disappears with the end of the Games it personifies. It was created to be understood by everyone, especially the young. It is friendly and appealing and is part of the visual identity of the Games.
OLYMPIC GAMES
1972 Waldi (dachshund)
1976 Amik (beaver)
1980 Misha (bear)
1984 Sam (eagle)
1988 Hodori (tiger)
1992 Cobi (dog)
1996 Izzy (abstract figure)
2000 Syd (platypus), Millie (echidna), Olly (kookaburra)
2004 Athena & Phevos (brother & sister dolls)
2008 Fuwa: Beibei (fish), Jingjing (panda), Huanhuan (flame), Yingying (antelope), Nini (swallow).
VICTORY CEREMONIES
On the podium, medals are presented to the first, second and third-place finishers. The winner stands in the middle at the highest elevation; the runner-up stands slightly below to the victor's right and the third-place finisher stands lower to the left. Olympic medals must be at least 66 millimeters in diameter and at least three millimeters thick. Gold and silver medals must be made of 92.5 percent pure silver; the gold medal must be gilded with at least six grams of gold. The design of the medals is the responsibility of the host city's organizing committee.
At the first modern Games in Greece in 1896, medals were given only to first and second-place finishers. The winner received a silver medal and the runner-up a bronze medal. The winner was also given a crown of olive branches, while the second-place finisher settled for a laurel branch crown.
The 1900 Games in Paris remain the only Olympics where no medals were awarded. Instead winners were given valuable pieces of art.
OPENING CEREMONIES
Planning and execution of this dazzling spectacle is primarily the responsibility of the host city, but basic guidelines, as outlined in the Olympic Charter of 1985 exist.
Athletes from every country parade into the main Olympic stadium in alphabetical order according to the host country's language with two exceptions: Greece, which hosted the first modern Games in 1896, always leads the parade, and the host country's team is always last.
A woman carrying each country's respective placard walks in front of the athletes. Behind her is the standard flagbearer for each nation. The proceeding program is traditional and fairly consistent.
The president of the IOC asks the host country's Head of State to open the Games. The Head of State does the honors with the following phrase: "I declare open the Games of (host city), celebrating the (number of the) Olympiad of the modern era."
CLOSING CEREMONIES
The Closing Ceremonies, also held in the main Olympic stadium, signals the official end of the Games. Olympic protocol requires each country to select a standard bearer. The athletes march in no particular order, between eight and 10 abreast, "united only by the friendly bonds of Olympic sport."
As the Greek national anthem is played, the Greek flag is raised to the right of the center flagpole. Then the flag of the next host country is raised to the left.
The IOC president then pronounces the Games closed with the following statement: "I call upon the youth of all countries to assemble four years from now at (the site of the next Olympics), there to celebrate with us the Games of the (number of the next) Olympiad."
The official ending of the Olympic Games is marked by the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame to the strains of the Olympic Hymn. The Olympic Flag is then lowered and carried from the stadium by eight people.
