Olympic Roman Numerals: Olympiad Numbers, Canceled Games, and the Full List
Understand Olympic Olympiad numbering, why canceled Games keep their place, and the official Roman numeral editions from Athens 1896 to LA28.
The Roman numeral in a modern Summer Olympics title identifies its Olympiad, the four-year cycle—not simply the number of Summer Games that have physically taken place. That is why Paris 2024 was the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, and Los Angeles 2028 is scheduled as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad. The 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games were canceled, but their Olympiad numbers remained in the sequence.
What does “Olympiad” mean?
An Olympiad is a four-year period associated with the Summer Olympic cycle. The Games are an event within that cycle. In ordinary coverage, “Olympics” often means the competition itself, but official historical designations use the Olympiad ordinal. That distinction explains why the Roman numeral can be one higher than a count that includes only completed events.
Key Summer Olympic designations
| Host year | City | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1896 | Athens | Games of the I Olympiad |
| 1912 | Stockholm | Games of the V Olympiad |
| 1916 | Berlin (canceled) | Games of the VI Olympiad |
| 1920 | Antwerp | Games of the VII Olympiad |
| 1936 | Berlin | Games of the XI Olympiad |
| 1940 | Tokyo (canceled) | Games of the XII Olympiad |
| 1944 | London (canceled) | Games of the XIII Olympiad |
| 1948 | London | Games of the XIV Olympiad |
| 1992 | Barcelona | Games of the XXV Olympiad |
| 2012 | London | Games of the XXX Olympiad |
| 2020 | Tokyo, held in 2021 | Games of the XXXII Olympiad |
| 2024 | Paris | Games of the XXXIII Olympiad |
| 2028 | Los Angeles | Games of the XXXIV Olympiad |
| 2032 | Brisbane | Games of the XXXV Olympiad |
The IOC’s Olympic Charter defines an Olympiad as four consecutive calendar years and says the Olympiads are numbered consecutively from Athens 1896. It also clarifies that Winter Games use their own edition numbering. The IOC’s historical account explains why the Olympiad sequence continued through the First World War. Olympic Charter, Rule 6 and Bye-law · IOC: the Games and world history
Full Summer Olympiad list
| Olympiad | Year | Host city / status |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1896 | Athens |
| II | 1900 | Paris |
| III | 1904 | St. Louis |
| IV | 1908 | London |
| V | 1912 | Stockholm |
| VI | 1916 | Berlin — canceled |
| VII | 1920 | Antwerp |
| VIII | 1924 | Paris |
| IX | 1928 | Amsterdam |
| X | 1932 | Los Angeles |
| XI | 1936 | Berlin |
| XII | 1940 | Tokyo — canceled |
| XIII | 1944 | London — canceled |
| XIV | 1948 | London |
| XV | 1952 | Helsinki |
| XVI | 1956 | Melbourne |
| XVII | 1960 | Rome |
| XVIII | 1964 | Tokyo |
| XIX | 1968 | Mexico City |
| XX | 1972 | Munich |
| XXI | 1976 | Montreal |
| XXII | 1980 | Moscow |
| XXIII | 1984 | Los Angeles |
| XXIV | 1988 | Seoul |
| XXV | 1992 | Barcelona |
| XXVI | 1996 | Atlanta |
| XXVII | 2000 | Sydney |
| XXVIII | 2004 | Athens |
| XXIX | 2008 | Beijing |
| XXX | 2012 | London |
| XXXI | 2016 | Rio de Janeiro |
| XXXII | 2020 | Tokyo — held in 2021 |
| XXXIII | 2024 | Paris |
| XXXIV | 2028 | Los Angeles — scheduled |
| XXXV | 2032 | Brisbane — scheduled |
Why is Tokyo 2020 called XXXII if it took place in 2021?
The Tokyo Summer Games were postponed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event retained its official Tokyo 2020 name and its place as the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. The designation follows the scheduled edition in the four-year sequence, not the calendar year in which the opening ceremony eventually took place.
Are Winter Games part of the same Roman numeral sequence?
No. Summer and Winter Olympic editions have separate numbering conventions. The Roman numeral in “Games of the XXXIII Olympiad” refers to the Summer Olympiad. Winter Games use their own edition count; for example, Milano Cortina 2026 is the XXV Olympic Winter Games. Do not combine the two sequences when answering “which Olympiad?”
How do I read the Roman numeral?
The familiar symbols are I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, and so on. For instance, XXXIII = 10 + 10 + 10 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 33, while XXXIV = 10 + 10 + 10 + (5 − 1) = 34. If you want to decode other event titles, use our Roman-to-number converter or review the basic Roman numeral rules.
Frequently asked questions
What Olympiad was Paris 2024?
Paris 2024 was the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, the 33rd Summer Olympiad.
What Roman numeral will the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics use?
LA28 is scheduled as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad. The IOC’s Olympic Studies Centre lists the 2028 edition under that designation.
Why did canceled Olympics keep their Roman numerals?
The edition number tracks the Olympiad cycle, not only competitions that were held. The VI Olympiad in 1916 and XII and XIII Olympiads in 1940 and 1944 remained in the historical sequence despite cancellation.