Olympics - Flags questions

Olympic Games / Jeux Olympiques

Last modified: 2005-07-09 by juan manuel gabino villascán
Keywords: olympic games | flag | questions |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán
Flag adopted: 1914.

• Where the Olympic flag can be seen?
• Other Olympic flags questions
• Sources

See:

• Olympics - General index

The IOC guards the dignity of the Olympic symbol and therefore limits the hoisting of Olympic flags to specific situations.

Now that the celebration of the 19th Olympic Winter Games is over, it's asif the Olympic Movement started wearing a dull winter fur, hardly showing any colour at all. But during Salt Lake 2002 there Olympic flags where flying everywhere.

• At the Opening Ceremony a large Olympic Flag was carried into the stadium and hoisted in a prominent position, where it remained for the duration of the Games.
• Several Olympic flags, and flags of each participating country, were flown at each Olympic event and over the Olympic Village.
• A large number of Olympic flags was flown throughout Salt Lake City.
• At the Closing Ceremony the Oslo flag was returned to the president of the IOC, who passed it on to the Burgomaster of Turin, host city of the 20th Olympic Winter Games, in 2006.
  
• Then, at the end of the Closing Ceremony, the Olympic flag flying over the Games was slowly lowered, and then slowly carried out of the stadium.

After Salt Lake 2002, most of the Olympic Flags have beeen taken down again, but there are a few places where the Olympic flag can be found throughout the year:

• The original Antwerp flag, presented by the city of Antwerp to the IOC in 1920, finally found its resting place in Lausanne in 1988, after travelling from Olympic city to Olympic city for 68 years.
• In the city hall of Athens, the Seoul flag, presented to the IOC by the City of Seoul in 1988, awaits the opening of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad: Athens 2004.
• In the city hall of Turin, the Oslo flag, presented by the City of Oslo to the IOC in 1952, awaits the opening of the 20th Olympic Winter Games: Turin 2006.
• An Olympic flag is hoisted each day at the headquarters of the IOC in Lausanne.
• Every eight years an Olympic congress is organized. No doubt, the Olympic flag will be flown at the site during the congress.
• The World Championships in any Olympic sport can request permission to fly the Olympic flag during the event.

{1 and 2}

1. Has the Vatican's flag ever been carried in the Olympics?

I doubt it. For starters, it's not big enough (population-wise or athletic training facilities (a must for aspriant Olympic nations) wise. {4}

2. Where does the IOC get the Olympic national flags? Jim Ferrigan?

I believe from each country involved, they are to provide a sample of the national flag in official specifications. {4}

3. What happens to these flags AFTER the Olympics?

4. Do the individual nations specify to the IOC how their flag is designed at some point in the planning for the next Olympics?

I gather that governments are contacted about 6 months before, or something. This is a guess. {4}

5. Have there been any last minute flag changes in Olympic history?

Yes, I can think of a famous (to us) one - Bosnia! I believe that the very first place that the current Bosnian flag was unveiled was Nagano, having officially adopted it that day or the day before, and leaving the organizers wondering what the flag would look like. (I remember that the sign-bearers (ie the volunteers that carry the name of the nation preceding the flag bearer) in Nagano were dressed in the national colours of each country's flag, except the Bosnian one (dressed in the colours of the old flag), since they weren't informed in time.) {4}

{Questions by 3}

1 International Olympic Committee Website, July 2000
2 Pascal Vagnat, 11 December 1998
3 Edward Mooney, February 9, 2002.
4 David Kendall, February 9, 2002.