Olympic Tattoos

This article originally appeared in the 2024 Olympic Preview edition of SwimSwam Magazine, courtesy of author Aglaia Pezzato. Subscribe to the SwimSwam Magazine here.

Colorful or monochromatic, large or small, hidden or proudly displayed. You might notice the most unexpected of symbols peeking from the bank clerk’s shirt cuff or recognize a familiar design behind the gym-goer’s neck every morning. And if you come across the five rings, you’ll know you’re in the company of an Olympian.

Because even Olympic athletes become, sooner or later, the neighbor next door. Their careers end and, often, people forget them as they pass by on the street. But what remains is the belonging to an elite group that no one can ever take away. And what better way to celebrate one’s membership in the Olympic club than to have it permanently imprinted on the skin?

Olympic champion and world record holder Chris Jacobs is often hailed as the pioneer of the Olympic rings tattoo trend, having sported his iconic ink following the 1988 Olympics. However, Jacobs’s well-known bicep tattoo wasn’t the first of its kind.

During his freshman year at the University of Texas, Jacobs discreetly had the school’s Longhorn mascot tattooed beneath the line of his swimsuit. It wasn’t until after competing in the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 that Jacobs added the Olympic rings between the mascot’s horns during a stopover in Hawaii.

“They were quite small,” Jacobs recalled. “A few years later, I decided that I wanted a more visible tattoo. The only two symbols I felt were deserving of being permanently inked on my body were the Longhorn and the rings.” Ultimately, Jacobs opted to place the rings on the inside of his right bicep.

Now, twenty-six years later, Jacobs’ tattoo has gained significant popularity among swimmers, with the Olympic rings tattoo being viewed by some as an almost essential emblem of Olympic team membership. Someone might claim to have seen the rings tattooed on Olympic athletes before Jacobs, but we’re confident that the trend in the United States started right here.

Certainly, for those fond of tattoos, adding another one to their collection is fine. Still, the tradition has become so deeply rooted that the Olympic rings are and will forever be the only ink on their skin for many.

Over time, getting the Olympic symbol tattooed has become not just a matter of belonging but has transcended boundaries to land in the realms of fashion and aesthetics. Tattoos that “certify” an athlete’s presence at an edition of the Games (much more than a Wikipedia page ever could) have become increasingly creative and intricate. Some combine the rings with the name of the hosting city, risking a very long list if they attend many editions. Others accompany the rings with the Olympic motto: “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Faster, Higher, Stronger). The IOC has officially modified the motto for the Tokyo Games by adding the word “Communiter” (Together), creating an edit or not-to-edit choice for those who got inked before 2021. This category also includes the author of this article — should I add a piece on my right hip eight years later?

Certainly, for swimmers, given the amount of exposed skin, it’s not easy to hide tattoos under their swimsuits, especially for men. Caeleb Dressel proudly displays his rings on his right forearm, as if their value alone balances out his entirely tattooed left arm. Sarah Sjostrom also had the rings tattooed on her left forearm above the Swedish flag, but recently opted for a cover-up, hiding the previous artwork with flowers. Adam Peaty, who a few years ago had only the Olympic rings and the word “equilibrium” tattooed, is now one of the most tattooed athletes in the world.

Whether you’re an Olympic champion like Caeleb, Sarah, and Adam, or not, like me, bearing the symbol of the most thrilling sporting experience of your life on your skin encapsulates the essence of the Olympics itself, which has brought together men and women for more than one hundred years: once an Olympian, always an Olympian.