Five interlocking rings — sometimes in different colors, sometimes not - the simplest of symbols is easy to take for granted after all these years. When a city hosts the Olympics, it becomes ubiquitous, easy to take for granted but still a powerful reminder of the significance of this event.
The rings spend a lot of time quietly in the background — on the ice at speedskating, curling and figure skating competitions. Ice makers applied a cutout of the rings to the track at Yanqing National Sliding Center ahead of the Beijing Games. They’re also on display near enough to the moguls course to make a spectacular backdrop when a skier sails through the air.
Occasionally, an athlete will seek out the rings for a photo opportunity. Switzerland’s Marco Tade did during training for the moguls competition. Italian luger Andrea Voetter had the rings on her fingernails. Norwegian curler Magnus Nedregotten has the rings tattooed on his arm.
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