Olympic Flag Protocol

DrillMasterProtocol and Flag 2 Comments

For international flag protocol, this is accepted. This image is from the International Olympic Committee when the organization announced the USA would have the 2034 Olympic games in Salt Lake City, UT.

I am not a fan of this in the least. The Olympic flag is placed to the right of national flags as far as the IOC is concerned. However, this is not stateside, it’s in Paris, France.

Having said that. Here is what the Flag Code, Title 4, US Code, has to say:

(c)No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations. (Bold text emphasis mine)

While the Flag Code was created decades ago and gives us broad and general guidance with a few specifics, we really don’t need anything more specific than what I highlighted in bold above: “No other flag should be placed to the right of the flag of the United States of America.” That’s pretty clear.

The Order of Nations in the Parade of Nations

Paris Olympics 1924 Parade of Nations
Paris Olympics 1924 Parade of Nations

The first flag and group of athletes is always Greece, the home of the first Olympic Games, regardless of the host country. The remaining flags and athletes are presented in alphabetical order in the language of the host nation.

See also The American Flag and the 2012 Olympics. This really angered some British folks.

Comments 2

  1. Hi Drillmaster,

    I see the Olympic flag protocol as being a problem only when the US hosts the Olympics. Otherwise, “at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof” would not apply.

    Am I understanding this correctly?

    Thanks

    1. Post
      Author

      I updated the article to accurately reflect the location of the display, Paris. It’s still a problem for many Americans to see their flag treated in such a way anywhere. When stateside, I do believe this would not happen.

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