Languages in Which Anthem Was Performed
The anthem has been recorded and performed in many different languages, usually as a result of the hosting of either form of the Games in various countries. The IOC requires that the anthem be performed in either English or Greek. But in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Greek was also sung instead of host country official language, Chinese but this language can be sung in Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics.
Olympics | City | Language Performed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1960 Winter | Squaw Valley | English | The first time it was performed since the original 1896 revival Games in Athens. |
1960 Summer | Rome | Italian | |
1964 Winter | Innsbruck | German | |
1964 Summer | Tokyo | Japanese | The anthem was sung in Japanese at the closing ceremony. |
1968 Winter | Grenoble | French | |
1968 Summer | Mexico City | Spanish | |
1972 Winter | Sapporo | Japanese | |
1972 Summer | Munich | Instrumental | An instrumental arrangement was used during the opening and closing ceremonies. |
1976 Winter | Innsbruck | German | |
1976 Summer | Montreal | Greek | Decision was made to have it performed in Greek. |
1980 Winter | Lake Placid | English | |
1980 Summer | Moscow | Russian and Greek | The anthem was sung in Russian at the opening ceremony, but in Greek at the closing ceremony. |
1984 Winter | Sarajevo | Serbo-Croatian | |
1984 Summer | Los Angeles | English | |
1988 Winter | Calgary | Greek | A decision was made to have the anthem sung in Greek. |
1988 Summer | Seoul | Korean | |
1992 Winter | Albertville | Instrumental | A decision was made to play the instrumental version of the anthem. |
1992 Summer | Barcelona | Spanish, Catalan, and French | At the opening ceremony, Alfredo Kraus sang the anthem's first two stanzas in Catalan and the rest of the anthem in Spanish and French. At the closing ceremony, Plácido Domingo sung it entirely in Spanish. |
1994 Winter | Lillehammer | Norwegian | Sung at both the opening (with the Children's chorus) and closing ceremonies by Syssel Kyrkjebø. |
1996 Summer | Atlanta | English | Performed at the Opening by the 300 voices of the Centennial Olympic choir. |
1998 Winter | Nagano | Japanese | Performed by the Nagano Festival Orchestra and sung by the Nagano City Children's Chorus Group in Japanese. |
2000 Summer | Sydney | English and Greek | The only Olympics so far in which the anthem was performed in both of the languages preferred by the IOC. At the opening ceremony, performed in Greek by the Millennium Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in recognition of the substantial Greek population of Australia. At closing ceremony, performed in English. |
2002 Winter | Salt Lake City | English | Sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. |
2004 Summer | Athens | Greek | Naturally in Greek; sung to the arrangement of John Psathas. |
2006 Winter | Turin | Instrumental; abbreviated version | At these Olympics, an abbreviated version was performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies. |
2008 Summer | Beijing | Greek | A decision was made to have it sung in Greek at both the opening and closing ceremonies. |
2010 Youth | Singapore | Greek | |
2010 Winter | Vancouver | English and French | This was the only Olympics that the anthem was performed in both of the official languages of the Olympics. This was done to reflect the official bilingualism in Canada. Measha Brueggergosman at the opening ceremony and Ben Heppner at the closing ceremony sang the first two, the fourth, and sixth stanzas in English and the remainder in French. |
2012 Youth | Innsbruck | German | |
2012 Summer | London | Instrumental and English | Instrumental version played in the opening ceremony by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Sung in English at the closing ceremony by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir and the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir. |
2014 Winter | Sochi, Russia | Russian | |
2014 Youth | Nanjing, China | Chinese | The Chinese version will be sung at the closing ceremony. |
2016 Summer | Rio de Janeiro | Portuguese |
Read more about this topic: Olympic Hymn
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