List of Olympic mascots

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

Olympic mascots

Games City Name Type Designer Significance Image Template:Abbr
1932 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Los Angeles Smoky Dog Template:N/A The only Olympic mascot to be a real live animal. (unofficial) <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1964 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Tokyo Kapa Kappa Unknown A creature from Japanese mythology. (unofficial) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1968 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Grenoble Schuss Skier Aline Lafargue An abstract figure with the colors of the flag of France. The name derives from the term schussboom, referring to a straight downhill run at high speeds. (unofficial, later recognised by the IOC) <ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024">Template:Cite web</ref>
1968 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Mexico City Chac Mool Jaguar Unknown A pink chacmool jaguar. (unofficial) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1972 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Sapporo Takuchan Asian black bear Seiko design department Designed and marketed by sponsors of the Games. (unofficial) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1972 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Munich Waldi Dachshund dog Elena Winschermann A popular breed in Bavaria, it represented the attributes required for athletes – resistance, tenacity and agility. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1976 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Innsbruck Schneemann and Sonnenweiberl Snowman and Sun woman Walter Pötsch Schneemann is named after the German word for snowman and wears a red Tyrolean hat, a traditional hat from the Alps. <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1976 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Montreal Amik Beaver Yvon Laroche,
Pierre-Yves Pelletier,
Guy St-Arnaud and
George Huel
Beavers are one of the national symbols of Canada. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1980 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon 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. The 1980 Winter Olympics initially had a live racoon named Rocky as the mascot, but it died, leading to the creation of Roni. <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1980 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Moscow Misha (Миша) Brown bear Victor Chizhikov The Russian Bear was the national symbol of the Soviet Union. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1984 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Sarajevo Vučko Wolf Jože Trobec Wolves are prominent in Yugoslavian fables and common in the Dinaric Alps. The mascot was designed with a cute face to dissociate him from the ferocity of real wolves. File:Sarajevo Safeta-Hadzica 2011-11-11 (2) (cropped).jpg <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1984 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Los Angeles Sam Bald eagle Robert Moore
(from
The Walt Disney Company)
The national bird of the United States. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1988 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Calgary Hidy and Howdy Polar bears Sheila Scott Both represent Western Canadian hospitality. <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1988 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Seoul Hodori (호돌이) Siberian tiger Hyun Kim Siberian tigers are common in Korean legends. Hodori was originally used as the mascot of the 1986 Asian Games. File:XX1088 - Seoul Paralympic Games Seoul City Shots - 4 of 12 - Scan.jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1992 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Albertville Magique Man-star/snow imp Philippe Mairesse The colors of the mascot are based on those of the French flag. Magique replaced the original mascot of the 1992 games, a mountain goat, two years before the games began. <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1992 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Barcelona Cobi Catalan sheepdog Javier Mariscal Drawn in avant-garde, cubist style File:Figureta d'en Cobi (2).jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1994 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Lillehammer Håkon and Kristin Humans Kari and Werner Grossman Both are dressed in Viking clothes. They were the first Olympic mascots to be human figures. They were named after Hakon Hakonson and Kristin Sverrisdottir. <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1996 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Atlanta Izzy Unknown John Ryan The first computer-generated mascot. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
1998 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Nagano The Snowlets:
Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki
Owls Pierre-Laurent Thève/Landor Associates, Paris The four owls represented fire, earth, air, and water. They replaced the original mascot of the games, which was a weasel named Snowple. <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2000 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Sydney Olly
(from "Olympic")
Kookaburra Jozef Szekeres, Matthew Hatton Representing the Olympic spirit of generosity. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
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.
Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat Wombat Roy and HG, Paul Newell A wombat that proved more popular than the official mascots. (unofficial) <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2002 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon 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 Native Americans in the United States, 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. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Copper
(a.k.a. Higher)
Coyote
Coal
(a.k.a. Stronger)
American black bear
2004 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Athens Athena and Phevos (Αθηνά και Φοίβος) Daidala Spyros Gogos Two modern children resembling ancient Greek daidala sculptures. <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2006 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Turin Neve and Gliz Snowball and Ice cube Pedro Albuquerque Their names mean "Snow" and "Ice". The designs were chosen in an international contest, which was won by Portuguese artist Pedro Albuquerque. File:Gliz and Neve (102298258).jpg <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2008 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon 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. File:Fuwa, mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by Han Meilin 20251016 (cropped).jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2010 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Vancouver Miga Sea Bear Meomi Design Part orca and part kermode bear File:Rogge Miga and Quatchi.jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
Quatchi Sasquatch From Canadian mythology
Mukmuk Vancouver Island marmot Not an official mascot, but their designated "sidekick". File:VANCOUVER 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS THE LOOK OF THE GAMES SOUVENIR DETAILS THE BIGGER MUKMUK GETS THE RED MITTEN TREATMENT (4427349159).jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon London Wenlock A drop of steel with a camera for an eye. Iris Named after the village of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, which hosted the Wenlock Olympian Games, a precursor to the modern Olympic Games in the 19th century. It represents the UK's start of the Industrial Revolution. File:Olympic mascots.jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Farquhar 2010">Template:Cite news</ref>
2014 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Sochi Bely Mishka, Leopard, and Zaika (Леопард, Зайка, Белый Мишка) Polar bear, snow leopard, and hare Silvia Petrova, Vadim Pak, Oleg Serdechny The first Olympic mascots decided by popular vote. File:Stamps of Russia 2012 No 1559-61 Mascots 2014 Winter Olympics.jpg <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
Zoich (Зойч) A furry blue frog with strange eyes Yegor Zhgun A popular character commissioned by the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee to promote the mascot poll and serve as a fake protest vote. (unofficial) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon 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. File:2016 Summer Olympic Mascot Vinicius.jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2018 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon Pyeongchang Soohorang (수호랑) A white tiger MASS C&G The tiger is an animal closely related to Korean mythology, and is a symbol of trust, strength, and protection. The name combines "Sooho", a word for protection, and "Rang", which is a mix of the Korean word for tiger and the name of a folk song in the Gangwon Province. File:2018 Winter Olympic Mascot Soohorang.jpg <ref name=":0" /><ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2020 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon 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. File:100 Yen 2020 Tokyo Olympics obverse R1 Miraitowa.gif <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2022 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon 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. File:Bing Dwen Dwen at Yanqing Winter Olympic Cultural Square.jpg <ref name="www.nbcolympics.com 2024" />
2024 Summer Olympics Template:Flagicon Paris Olympic Phryge Phrygian cap Gilles Deleris Based on the Phrygian cap, a symbol of the French Revolution. File:Mauro Iglesias - Qualified for Paris 2024.jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Belam 2022">Template:Cite news</ref>
2026 Winter Olympics Template:Flagicon MilanCortina d'Ampezzo Tina Stoat Students of the Istituto Comprensivo of Taverna in Calabria Tina's name is derived from Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the two host cities. <ref name="Fenton 2024">Template:Cite web</ref>

Youth Olympic mascots

Games City Name Type Designer Significance Image Template:Abbr
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. File:MerlyandLyo-YouthOlympicGamesSuperStore-Singapore-20100505 (cropped).jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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 File:Yoggl - Gala Nacht des Sports 2011.jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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. File:Delegación argentina YOG 2014 (cropped).jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016 Winter Youth Olympics Lillehammer Sjogg Lynx Line Ansethmoen The name "Sjogg" translates to "Snow" in the Gudbrandsdalsmål dialects File:Sjogg in town (21648317444) (cropped).jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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". [[Template:Not a typo|120px]] <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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. File:Lausanne 2020 Torch Tour in Sarnen 09.jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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. File:Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Meeting.jpg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2026 Summer Youth Olympics Dakar Ayo Lion Ndeye Mariama Diop A young lion wearing a tingandé, a traditional hat worn by the Fula people. Its name means "joy" in Yoruba. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

References

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