The US Flag at the Olympics: A Symbol of Pride

The Olympic Games are a major world affair, with athletes competing from almost every nation on Earth. The Games are a time of national pride for many countries, especially the United States. The American flag has appeared in almost every single modern Olympics, though its design and protocol has changed several times.

The American Flag at the Olympics

The United States has participated in the modern Olympic Games since the first 1896 Games in Athens. At the 1906 Intercalated Games, the Parade of Nations was established, in which all the national flags of competing athletes were paraded past dignitaries and government officials from the hosting country.

However, the 50-star flag we see today wouldn’t have been used back in 1906 - it would only have had 45 stars following the admission of Utah to the Union. The modern 50-star flag would have first been used in the 1960 Olympic Games.

Why Doesn’t America Dip the Flag at the Olympics?

During the Parade of Nations at the start of each Olympic Games, event policy calls for each nation to dip their flag to the host nation’s head of state. However, Team USA famously does not dip the American flag, though they are not the only ones to do so.

One of the first modern Olympic Games was held in 1908 in London, at which Team USA participated. According to legend, American flagbearer Ralph Rose, a track and field athlete, refused to dip the flag to English King Edward VII. Rose was Irish American, and upset at the fact that Irish athletes could only participate as part of Great Britain’s team, represented by the Union Jack. Later, teammate Martin Sheridan supposedly remarked that “this flag dips to no earthly king.”

The American flag was dipped a few times since, such as at the 1912 Stockholm and 1924 Paris Olympics. The American tradition of not dipping the flag did not begin in earnest until the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which took place in Nazi Germany. Dipping or not dipping the nation’s flag is usually left for the flagbearer to decide, but that year the US Olympic Committee ruled that the American flag should not be dipped to Hitler.

The American flag hasn’t been dipped since 1942, when Congress added a stipulation to the US Flag Code that states, “the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing.” This applies to all situations, including those unrelated to the Olympics.

In fact, other nations began to follow suit. When the USSR joined the Olympic Games in 1952, its Olympic policy stated that the USSR flag should not be dipped at all. Many countries later adopted this practice, resulting in situations like the 1992 Albertville Games, where only four out of 64 nations dipped their flags.

The International Olympic Committee hasn’t changed its policy and still recommends that each country dip its flag. Today, while America continues to not dip, other countries may switch between the two depending on international politics and foreign relations.

Why Does Team USA’s Olympic Flag Have 13 Stars?

During Olympic watch parties and celebrations, you are likely to see American flags being waved in honor of Team USA. However, you may see other designs flown that are based on the Olympic Rings, such as one of Team USA’s logos:

This American Olympic flag is notable for only containing 13 stars in the canton instead of the modern 50. Back in 2010, when this design was being created, the US Olympic Committee decided that the 50 stars would be too small to see properly. Thus they replaced it with the 13-star flag, which is still considered an official flag of the United States.

The American flag has represented thousands of athletes throughout the past century, who have collectively won over 1,100 gold medals. The flag itself has had a storied past in its Olympic appearances, marking the growing Union with the progressing 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50-star flags. In future Olympic Games, while the flag’s design or the athletes that it represents may change, one thing will always be the same: The American flag will be proudly displayed in the Parade of Nations and dipped to no one.