Paris 2024: Traditions of The Olympic Games 

The Olympic Games have changed a lot since the debut in 1896. Throughout modern history, the renowned Games have picked up many traditions along the 128-year journey. A lot of today's traditions of the modern Olympic Games are essential to the embodiment of the Games and what they represent. Let's take a look at some of these traditions.

Official Olympic Language

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has two official languages – English and French. Both languages are used to intriduce competitors at medal ceremonies and the opening ceremony. All IOC documents are published in both English and French and will be the primary languages used throughout the Olympic events for the forseeable future (along with the native langage of the host country). However, if the host country speaks one of the two languages, the two official languages remain the only lingiual duo – as we saw at London 2012 and this year in Paris.

Why is this?

If we're going off popularity, it seems that the French and English languages don't make the cut into the most spoken languages throughout the world. Using Chinese would cater to the 1.39 billion people with Chinese as their first language. Or Hindu, as it is spoken by 588 million people across the globe. English is actually the third most popular global language and French doesn't even cut the top five.

However, there could be a number of possible explanations for why the IOC uses only these two languages in their official documents.

We could consider the fact the the founder of the IOC and "father" of the modern Olympics was a Frenchman. Or perhaps we could look at the IOC homebase in Lusanne – a French-speaking part of Switzerland. Maybe English is used because the American broadcasting rights to the Summer Olympic Games since 1988 has been held to NBC.

Actually, it's none of the above. The languages of the Olympic Games were determined by the number of eligible countries, and their native language. Coming in hot at 88 countries is English. Second is French with 28. For so long these languages were direct with the number of countries entered in the Games, resulting in the anglo/francophone appeal.

Olympic Rings

Olympic rings have been an integral part of the Games meaning and design. But what's behind the colours and placement of this Olympic logo?

The symbol is based on a design first created by French historian Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. The five rings represent the inhabited the continents of the world — Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas (North and South) and Oceania. From left to right, the colors on the official symbol are blue, yellow, black, green and red.

The coloured rings, amidst a white background, represent almost every flag in the world, like a recognition of the Olympic Games and all competing countries.

Olympic Medals

Believe it or not, Olympic medals weren't always the appropriate reward for winning athletes. During the Ancient Olympic Games, it is believed that winners would receive an olive branch from the wild olive tree that grew at Olympia. This was introdced by Heracles as a prize to the winner of the running race in honour of Zeus – the God of sky and thunder. The branch was usually intertwined in the shape of a circle or horse shoe.

For a long time there were no customary rules to operate the order in which the gold, silver and bronze medals would be rewarded. Instead, silver medals were usually given to winners, along with an olive branch, keeping the tradition of Harcles alive. Copper (bronze) medals were awarded to runner up contenders along with a laurel branch.

At the Summer Olympics in St. Louis (1904) is where the first three places in all events were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Since then, medals have been an integral part of the Games. The IOC acknowledges that should there be a tie in any place, the appropriate medals will be rewarded to all competitors.

The Olympic Flame

The Olympic flame, a well-known symbol of the Games, is a representation of continuity between ancient and modern Games. It was a ritual practiced in ancient Games and signified peace and friendship at the Olympics. It was 1928 in Amsterdam when the Olympic flame made its first appearance at the modern Olympic Games.

Here, the idea to keep the flame lit from the beginning until the end of the Games was also born. It's first appearance in Amsterdam was a small fire which was lit at the top of a tall tower in the city. The main purpose of the flame at the tower was to be a sign of light to signify where the games were being held throughout the entire duration of the events.

However, the tale of the Olympic flame has progressed over time. Today, it is such a popular tradition that it takes an entire trip before landing in the city of the host country. This tradition is known as the Olympic torch relay.

Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic torch relay was first adopted in Berlin in 1936. It was an idea formed by university lecture and sports theorist Carl Diem. As it continues today, the flame was lit in Olympia in Greece with the aid of a parabolic mirror reflecting the sun. From there, runners took part in the inaugural relay and transported the torch and flame to the host city of the Olympic Games.

The idea of using a torch to transport the flame was not taken aboard initially. Taking inspiration from ancientways, the Organising Committee of the Berlin Games had planned to convey the flame by means of a bundle of slow-burning fennel stalks. It was finally decided to use a torch for the job, with the Organising Committee requesting the creation of a specific design, given that there were no torches already capable of meeting their criteria. This grew into the extravagant torches we see today.

The aim of the torch relay was to emit a spirit of friendship and peace along its route, spreasing good vibes to the Games ahead. This year's torch relay travelled far and wide before the opening ceremony.

The first torch for the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay was lit by the sun’s rays on 16 April 2024 during a ceremony in the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece, where the ancient Olympics were once held. The Olympic flame then headed to Athens to board the Belem and crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Marseille. On 8 May 2024, the Olympic flame embarked on its epic journey across France.

The Torch Relay of Paris 2024 took 68 stops across France from 8 May until 26 July. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games saw the final stop for the flame, and the lighting of the cauldron.

Paris 2024 is Bringing the Heat

That's not all the fire related traditions we see today at the Olympic Games. Along with the lighting of the torch, and the torch relay – the Olympic flame is kept lit until the end of the Games in a cauldron.

This came off the back of the idea formed in 1928 in Amsterdam to keep the flame lit throughout the entire Games.

The Olympic Cauldron has always remained on the ground in one position for the entirety of a Games, however, things are a little different at the Paris 2024. In a tribute to French pioneers Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, the cauldron was designed to represent a hot air balloon.

Fun Fact: Hot air balloooning was actually an Olympic Sport at the 1900 Paris Games!

Throughout the day, the Cauldron will remain on the ground before taking flight at sunset. The Paris 2024 cauldron is a first-of-its-kind and gives the host city a unique opportunity to keep Paris alight throughout the Games.