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List of Olympic mascots

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See also: List of Paralympic mascots

Some Olympic mascot dolls on display at the Argentine Olympic Committee museum.

The Olympic mascots are fictional characters who represent the cultural heritage of the location where the Olympic Games are taking place. They are often an animal native to the area or human figures.

One of the first Olympic mascots was created for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble; a stylized cartoon character on skis named Schuss. The first official Olympic mascot appeared in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and was a rainbow-colored Dachshund dog named Waldi.[1]

Since the Games in Vancouver in 2010, the Olympic and Paralympic mascots have always been presented together, which was first done in Barcelona in 1992. The Youth Olympic Games, which are run by the International Olympic Committee, have had mascots as well.

Olympic mascots

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Games City Name Type Designer Significance Image Refs.
1932 Summer Olympics United States Los Angeles Smoky Dog — The only Olympic mascot to be a real live animal. (unofficial) [2]
1964 Summer Olympics Japan Tokyo Kapa Kappa Unknown (unofficial) [3]
1968 Winter Olympics France Grenoble Schuss Skier Aline Lafargue Abstract figure with the colors of the flag of France. (unofficial, later recognised by the IOC) [4]
1968 Summer Olympics Mexico Mexico City Chac Mool Jaguar Unknown (unofficial) [5]
1972 Winter Olympics Japan Sapporo Takuchan Asian black bear Seiko design department Designed and marketed by sponsors of the Games. (unofficial) [6]
1972 Summer Olympics Germany Munich Waldi Dachshund dog Elena Winschermann[7] A popular breed in Bavaria, it represented the attributes required for athletes – resistance, tenacity and agility. [4]
1976 Winter Olympics Austria Innsbruck Schneemann and Sonnenweiberl Snowman and Sun woman Walter Pötsch Representing the Games of Simplicity. [4][8]
1976 Summer Olympics Canada Montreal Amik Beaver Yvon Laroche,
Pierre-Yves Pelletier,
Guy St-Arnaud and
George Huel		 Beavers are one of the national symbols of Canada. [4]
1980 Winter Olympics United States Lake Placid Roni Raccoon Donald Moss Its face design resembles the hat and goggles used by competitors. It was named for the Adirondack mountain range. [4]
1980 Summer Olympics Soviet Union Moscow Misha (Миша) Brown bear Victor Chizhikov The Russian Bear was the national symbol of the Soviet Union. [4]
1984 Winter Olympics Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sarajevo Vučko Wolf Jože Trobec Symbolizing the desire of humans to befriend animals. According to the IOC, it helped change the common perception in the region of wolves as frightening and blood-thirsty.[citation needed] [4]
1984 Summer Olympics United States Los Angeles Sam Bald eagle Robert Moore
(from
The Walt Disney Company)		 The national bird of the United States. [4]
1988 Winter Olympics Canada Calgary Hidy and Howdy Polar bears Sheila Scott Both represent Western Canadian hospitality. [4]
1988 Summer Olympics South Korea Seoul Hodori (호돌이) Siberian tiger Hyun Kim Siberian tigers are common in Korean legends. [4]
1992 Winter Olympics France Albertville Magique Man-star/snow imp Philippe Mairesse The colors of the mascot are based on those of the French flag. [4]
1992 Summer Olympics Spain Barcelona Cobi Catalan sheepdog Javier Mariscal Drawn in avant-garde, cubist style [4]
1994 Winter Olympics Norway Lillehammer Håkon and Kristin Humans Kari and Werner Grossman Both are dressed in Viking clothes. They are the first Olympic mascots to be human figures. [4]
1996 Summer Olympics United States Atlanta Izzy Unknown John Ryan The first computer-generated mascot. [4]
1998 Winter Olympics Japan Nagano The Snowlets:
Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki 		Owls Pierre-Laurent Thève/Landor Associates, Paris Representing the four major islands of Japan. The first syllable of each name combines phonetically to create the word "Snowlets". [4]
2000 Summer Olympics Australia Sydney Olly
(from "Olympic") 		Kookaburra Jozef Szekeres, Matthew Hatton Representing the Olympic spirit of generosity. [4]
Syd
(from "Sydney") 		Platypus Representing the environment and energy of the people of Australia.
Millie
(from "Millennium") 		Echidna Representing the Millennium. All three mascots are common wild animals found in Australia.
2002 Winter Olympics United States Salt Lake City Powder
(a.k.a. Swifter) 		Snowshoe hare Steve Small,
Landor Associates
and Publicis		 All three mascots are indigenous animals of the U.S. state of Utah, and are named after natural resources important to the state's economy. These animals are major characters in the legends of local American Indians, and these legends are reflected in the story of each mascot. To remind them of this heritage, all mascots wear a charm around their neck with a petroglyph image. [9][4][10]
Copper
(a.k.a. Higher) 		Coyote
Coal
(a.k.a. Stronger) 		American black bear
2004 Summer Olympics Greece Athens Athena and Phevos (Αθηνά και Φοίβος) Daidala Dolls Spyros Gogos Two modern children resembling ancient Greek dolls. [4]
2006 Winter Olympics Italy Turin Neve and Gliz Snowball and Ice cube Pedro Albuquerque "Snow and Ice". Neve ("Snow" in Italian) is a humanized female snowball that wears red and represents "softness, friendship and elegance." Gliz (a shortened form of Ghiaccio, "Ice" in Italian) is a humanized male ice cube who wears blue and represents "enthusiasm and joy." [4]
2008 Summer Olympics China Beijing The Fuwa (福娃):
Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, Nini 		Koi, giant panda, Olympic Flame, Tibetan antelope, swallow Han Meilin The five names form the Chinese phrase "Beijing huan ying ni" (北京欢迎你), which means "Beijing welcomes you". Each representing an Olympic ring and Feng Shui element. [4]
2010 Winter Olympics Canada Vancouver Miga Sea Bear Meomi Design
(a group of
Vicki Wong and
Michael Murphy)		 Part orca and part kermode bear [4]
Quatchi Sasquatch From Canadian mythology
Mukmuk Vancouver Island marmot Not an official mascot, but their designated "sidekick".
2012 Summer Olympics United Kingdom London Wenlock A drop of steel with a camera for an eye. Iris Named after the village of Much Wenlock in Shropshire – which hosted a precursor to the modern Olympic Games in the 19th century. It represents the UK's start of the Industrial Revolution. [4][11][12]
2014 Winter Olympics Russia Sochi Bely Mishka, Leopard, and Zaika (Леопард, Зайка, Белый Мишка) Polar bear, snow leopard, and hare Silvia Petrova, Vadim Pak, Oleg Serdechny First mascots decided by popular vote. [4]
2016 Summer Olympics Brazil Rio de Janeiro Vinicius A hybrid animal representing all Brazilian mammals Luciana Eguti and Paulo Muppet Inspired by Brazilian fauna. Named after the poet and bossa nova composer Vinicius de Moraes, decided by popular vote. [4]
2018 Winter Olympics South Korea Pyeongchang Soohorang (수호랑) A white tiger MASS C&G A white tiger. The tiger is an animal closely related to Korean mythology, and is a symbol of trust, strength, and protection. [4]
2020 Summer Olympics Japan Tokyo Miraitowa (ミライトワ) Robot Ryo Taniguchi A superhero-inspired robot that embodies both old tradition and new innovation. The Olympic mascot was chosen from several designs submitted by schoolchildren and illustrators throughout Japan. [4]
2022 Winter Olympics China Beijing Bing Dwen Dwen (冰墩墩) Panda Cao Xue With a suit of ice, a heart of gold and a love of all things winter sports, this panda is ready to share the true spirit of the Olympics with the whole world. [4]
2024 Summer Olympics France Paris Olympic Phryge Phrygian cap Gilles Deleris Based on the Phrygian cap, a symbol of the French Revolution. [13][14]
2026 Winter Olympics Italy Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo Tina Ermine Students of the Istituto Comprensivo of Taverna in Calabria Tina's name is derived from Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the two host cities. [15]

Youth Olympic mascots

[edit]
Games City Name Type Designer Significance Image Refs.
2010 Summer Youth Olympics Singapore Lyo and Merly Red male lion (Lyo), Blue female merlion (Merly) Cubix International The two characters are an allusion to the "Lion City" label of Singapore, and the Merlion, a national symbol of Singapore, respectively. [16]
2012 Winter Youth Olympics Innsbruck Yoggl Alpine Chamois Florencia Demaría and Luis Andrés Abbiati of Argentina Yoggl represents the character of the host city of these games [17]
2014 Summer Youth Olympics Nanjing Lele(砳砳) Yuhua Stone LeLe is inspired by a unique natural feature of the host city known as the "Rain-Flower Pebble" (also translated as "Riverstone"). The design of the mascot takes the typical shape and appearance of this stone but in a creative and artistic way, highlighting the colours from the emblem's palette. The word 'lele' represents the sound of stones colliding together and is pronounced like the Chinese word meaning happiness or joy. [18]
2016 Winter Youth Olympics Lillehammer Sjogg Lynx Line Ansethmoen The name "Sjogg" translates to "Snow" in the Gudbrandsdalsmål dialects [19]
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Buenos Aires Pandi Jaguar Human Full Agency Pandi's name is a combination of the scientific name of the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the relationship of the mascot with the "digital world". [20][21][22]
2020 Winter Youth Olympics Lausanne Yodli A cow, Saint Bernard dog and a goat hybrid. ERACOM Yodli is a cross between a cow, goat, and the Saint Bernard breed of dog, all of which are commonly found in the Swiss mountains. It was named after yodeling. [23]
2024 Winter Youth Olympics Gangwon Province Moongcho Snowball Soo-Yeon Park The character was conceived as a snowball created in a snowball fight between Soohorang and Bandabi. [24]

See also

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References

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Notes

  1. ^ "History of Olympic Mascots 1968–2014 – Photos & Origins". www.olympic.org. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Smoky Quits Olympic Village: Mascot Settles Down in New Home". The Los Angeles Times. 23 September 1932. p. 36. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Tokyo 1964 – Mythological Creature (unofficial mascot)". TheOlympicDesign. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "A look back at Olympic mascots through the years | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Mexico 1968 – Chac Mool (unofficial mascot)". theolympicdesign – Olympic Design Webseite!. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Sapporo 1972 – Takuchan (unofficial mascot)". TheOlympicDesign. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Photos and History". Olympics.com. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Innsbruck 1976 – Mascot Schneemandl". theolympicdesign. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  9. ^ Utah Travel Industry. "2002 Winter Olympics: Emblems and Mascots". Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  10. ^ Salt Lake Organizing Committee (2001). Reach: An Educators Guide to the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002. p. 16. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  11. ^ "2012 London Mascots launched to the World". Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  12. ^ Farquhar, Gordon (19 May 2010). "BBC Sport – London 2012 unveils Games mascots Wenlock and Mandeville". BBC Online. BBC Online. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  13. ^ "Avec ses produits dérivés, Paris 2024 veut faire sauter la banque". 29 October 2021.
  14. ^ Belam, Martin (14 November 2022). "Meet the Phryges: Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic mascots unveiled". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  15. ^ Fenton, Caela (8 February 2024). "Meet Tina and Milo, the mascots for Milano Cortina 2026". Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Singapore unveil mascots for 2010 Youth Olympics". www.insidethegames.biz. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games mascot unveiled". www.insidethegames.biz. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games Mascot Unveiled". www.olympic.org. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Lillehammer 2016 mascot named Sjogg". www.insidethegames.biz. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  20. ^ "Buenos AIres 2018 on Twitter". Twitter (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2018. La elección de #Pandi se debe a la combinación entre su nombre científico que es "Panthera Onca" y su relación con el mundo digital.
  21. ^ "Buenos Aires 2018 unveils #Pandi the jaguar as official mascot". www.insidethegames.biz. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Buenos Aires 2018 presents mascot for Youth Olympic Games - Trackalerts.com, track and field news website". 29 May 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Yodli unveiled as mascot for Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games". www.insidethegames.biz. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  24. ^ "Designer of Gangwon 2024's official mascot reflects on journey : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea". www.korea.net. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
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