Winter Olympic Mascots

Schuss
Schuss is well known for being the first mascot, not only of the Winter Olympic Games, but of the Olympics as a whole. It debuted on the Grenoble 1968 Winter Olympic Games, and is a small man on skis, in the position his name mentions. The upper part of its large two-tone head, which rests on a single zigzag lightning-shaped foot, generally features the Olympic Rings. Schuss was commonly called as "character" at the time by the Organizing Committee. The mascot has been available in a variety of items: key rings, pins, magnets, watches and even as an inflatable version. Schuss was created in a hurry. In January 1967, its designer, Aline Lafargue, had only one night to prepare a plan for presentation.

Takuchan (unofficial)
Takuchan was an unofficial mascot for the Sapporo 1972 Winter Olympic Games. Despite that, Seiko watch company, the official timepiece of these Games, marketed the mascot in its shops in the form of fabric figures, decals, bags, bath towels and many other souvenirs – exclusively in connection with the Winter Games and in combination with the official emblem. The Takushoku Bank produced the little bear as a money bank with a slot in the back of its head. Several "Takuchans" were produced for this series, representing the figure while practising various winter sports. In addition, a series of summer sports was produced, suggesting that the mascot was marketed after the Games or had existed before.

Schneemann
Schneemann ("Snowman" in German) was the mascot of the Innsbruck 1976 Winter Olympic Games. To mark the "Simplicity Games", they chose a Tyrolean snowman created by Walter Potsch to be the mascot. Despite causing strangeness at first, the mascot ended up having a good commercial return with many blouses, stuffed animals, key chains sold.

Roni
Created by Don Moss, Roni, a raccoon, was chosen as the mascot of the Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympic Games because the marks on the eyes of this traditional North American animal mimicked the athletes' glasses and also the resemblance to the winter hats worn by competitors. Itc name omes from the word racoon in Iroquoian, the language of the natives of the New York State region.

Vučko
To decide who would be the mascot of the Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympic Games, a vote envolving six candidates was published on Yugoslavia's three biggest newspapers, which were a snowball, a mountain goat, a weasel, a lamb, a hedgehog and a wolf, who won the competition. Later, it would be named as Vučko. According to its creator, Joze Trebec, the wolf is a prominent figure in Yugoslav fables. It embodies courage, strength and symbolizes winter. Through his smiling, frightened, or serious facial expressions, Vučko gave the wolf a rather friendly appearance and even helped change the animal's generally fierce image. But despite that, the mascot did not have a unanimous reception as the wolf figure is traditionally scary.

Hidy and Howdy
The polar bear couple, created by Scheila Scott, was a mark at the Games because, for the first time, more than one mascot was used for an Olympic Games edition. Dressed like cowboys, the mascots of the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympic Games were brothers. Hidy's name comes from Hidye, which means "Hi", while Howdy's name comes from an abbreviation of "How do you do", a typical western Canadian greeting. These names were chosen by a jury of Calgary citizens after a contest organized by the City Zoo that attracted nearly 7,000 entries. Hidy and Howdy represented Canadian hospitality.

Magique (Olympics)
The name of the mascot of the Tignes-Albertville 1992 Winter Olympic Games was not an easy thing to choose. After several studies carried out by the organizing committee of the Games, no conclusion was reached, however, after re-reading the notes, they realized that the word "Magique" appeared several times and ended up being the chosen name. Created by Phillipe Mairesse, Magique ("Magic in French) is a mountain elf composed of a cube and a star, which shape symbolized dreams and imagination and the colors came from the flag of France. Originally, a mountain goat called Chamois was chosen as mascot, but rumors say the switch took place because it didn't fit with the theme of the Games' Opening Ceremony. A costume was already made for Chamois, as he was unveiled at the closing ceremony of the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics at McMahon Stadium. He was joined with the aforementioned Hidy and Howdy, and Hodori, the mascot of the Seoul 1988 Summer Olimpics.

Alpy (Paralympics)
Alpy was the mascot of the Tignes-Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympic Games. Designed by Vincent Thiebaut, it is shaped in the form of the Grande Motte, a mountain that is part of the Massif de la Vanoise, in Tignes. The mascot is depicted on an mono-ski to highlight its athleticism.

Håkon and Kristin (Olympics)
The mascots of the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympic Games were two children who, despite wearing medieval clothes, are modern and express their interest and the vision of young people, such as the environment. Haakon's name was inspired by Norway's King Haakon IV, while Kristin's name was inspired by a princess of the same name, aunt of Haakon IV. Unlike prior mascots, who were in suit mascots, they were actual people, Norwegian children to be exact. 8 pairs were chosen out of 10,000 Norwegian children to play the mascots. They were made by Karl Werner and her husband Werner Grossman, who both came up with the mascot from an idea from architect Javier Ramirez Campuzano, who designed the identity the Mexican Pavilion in the same 1994 Winter Olympics.

Sondre (Paralympics)
The mascot of the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Paralympic Games was Sondre, the Troll. He is based on the trolls depicted in Scandinavian folklore. The one-legged skiing troll was created as a result of a nationwide competition among schools, with the winning design handed in by Janne Solem. In a separate competition, the name “Sondre” was chosen for the Paralympic mascot as a reference to Sondre Norheim, one of the pioneers of modern skiing.

The Snowlets (Olympics)
The snow owls Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki, also known as the "Snowlets", were the mascots of the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympic Games. Owls are revered the world over as having the "wisdom of the forest"; In Greek mythology, the owl is associated with Athena, the goddess of wisdom. The "Snow" in the name refers to Winter, which is the season in which the Games are played. and "Lets" refers to "Let's", which is an invitation to join the celebration of the Games. The snow owls represented the four elements: Sukki (fire), Nokki (air), Lekki (earth) and Tsukki (water). The choice of four mascots instead of one has to do with the period between one Olympics and another, which is four years.

Parabbit (Paralympics)
Pararabbit was the mascot of the Nagano 1998 Winter Paralympic Games. A white rabbit with one green and one red ear was chosen as the mascot to compliment the logo. A competition was held among students to find a name for the Paralympic mascot, with “Pararabbit” being chosen by 3,408 different entries.

Powder, Copper and Coal (Olympics)
The mascots of the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games represented an allusion to the natural riches of the state of Utah, and also its snow and its land. Their agilities symbolize the Olympic motto: "Faster, higher and stronger." Powder is a snowshoe hare known for its speed. Copper is a coyote known for its climbing ability. Coal is a black bear known for its strength.

Otto (Paralympics)
Otto, the mascot of the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Paralympic Games, was chosen by the organising committee because of the animal’s agility and vitality. The otter is an animal with a long history in Utah, with Native American tribes once living there considering it to be one of the most powerful animals. Having nearly reached extinction in the early 20th century, otters were successfully reintroduced into the wild in 1990, showing that even the largest setbacks can be overcome.

Neve and Gliz (Olympics)
The mascots of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games were Neve ("Snow" in Italian) and Gliz (a variant name of "Ghiaccio", Ice in Italian), who represented the two foundational elements for the Winter Games and embody winter sports. Neve is a snowball dressed in red, with its rounded and fluid contours, which is linked to the harmony and elegance of the movement. Gliz is an ice cube dressed in blue, who recalls the strength of athletes with its angular shapes.

Aster (Paralympics)
The mascot of the Torino 2006 Winter Paralympic Games was Aster, a snowflake which complexity and uniqueness represents the unique way an individual can practice sport, and also their unique way of life. An idea was echoed by Aster, as snowflakes are unique, so are the athletes participating in the Paralympic Games.

Miga and Quatchi (Olympics); Sumi (Paralympics); Mukmuk (unofficial)
The mascots of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games were inspired by the fauna and tales of the First Nations of Western Canada. Miga is a sea bear, a mythical half killer whale, half Kermode bear. The Kermode bear exists only in British Columbia. Quatchi is a sasquatch (something like a big foot), a popular character from a legend who lives in the woods. He is furry and wears ear plugs and boots. Sumi is an animal spirit who lives in the mountains of British Columbia, which name comes from the Salish word “Sumesh” which means “guardian spirit.” Mukmuk is a rare and endangered marmot that exists only on Vancouver Island. Its name originates from "muckamuck" which means food in the Chinook language.

Bely Mishka, Snow Leopard and Zaika (Olympics)
The mascots of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games refer to the three places on the Olympic podium, the reason why there was three in total. The choice was made after a contest held through Russia, first, and then outside the country. Of the 24.048 ideas, 10 were chosen by a jury for the second phase of the competition. The final decision was made by popular vote on a TV show called "Talismaniya Sochi 2014 - The Final" which aired on February 26, 2011. In 2012, Russia introduced a new 25 ruble currency, and the Sochi 2014 mascots had the honor of being featured in it. They were the first mascots that weren't named.

Snowflake and Ray of Light (Paralympics)
Ray of Light and Snowflake were the mascots of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games. Ray of Light came from a different planet that was perpetually hot, and landed on earth. With amber skin and bright, large eyes and hair looking like flames, he was overwhelmed by the new experiences he made. Ray of Light soon found out that he and the people of earth had a lot in common, he took up Nordic skiing and became friends with the people around him. As the only alien on earth, though, he became lonely, until one day he saw a shooting star falling to earth, which turned out to be Snowflake – a girl with skin as white as snow, coming from a planet that was perpetually cold. Snowflake and Ray of Light became friends, inventing the sports of ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. Ray of Light and Snowflake stayed on earth, finally acknowledging that, through sport, they are not so different from humans after all.

Soohorang (Olympics)
Soohorang, the mascot of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, is a white tiger, which is considered the guardian animal of Korea. "Sooho", which means protection in Korean, symbolizes the protection offered to athletes, spectators and other participants of the Games. "Rang" comes from the middle letter of "Ho-rang-i", the Korean word for "tiger", and is also the last letter of "Jeong-seon A-ri-rang", a traditional folk song from Gangwon Province, where the Games were held. According to its creators, Soohorang not only has a challenging and passionate spirit, but is also a trusted friend who protects athletes, spectators and all participants in the Olympic Games.

Bandabi (Paralympics)
Bandabi, the mascot of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympic Games, is an asian black bear, similar to Takuchan, Sapporo 1972 unofficial mascot. "Banda" means "half-moon" or a "half-moon beast", and "bi" means to celebrate the competition. It is a warm-hearted friend who "has strong will and courage, is at the forefront of equality and harmony," and supports the enthusiasm of the players in the Paralympics so that they can overcome their limitations. Also, it is a symbol of will and courage. Curiously, Bandabi has a continuity with Gomdoori, which was the mascot of the Seoul 1988 Summer Paralympic Games.

Bing Dwen Dwen (Olympics)
Bing Dwen Dwen, a cheerful panda, is the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. "Bing" means "Ice", and "Dwen Dwen" refers to children. It is encased in a full-body “shell” made of ice, and the heart shape in its left palm represents the host country’s hospitality. The bright colours of the halo around its face represent ice and snow sport tracks, signifying connectivity and advanced technologies. Bing Dwen Dwen also resembles an astronaut, embracing new technologies for a future with infinite possibilities. The mascot embodies the strength and willpower of athletes and will help to promote the Olympic spirit.

Shuey Rhon Rhon (Paralympics)
Shuey Rhon Rhon, a lantern child, is the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. It wears a suit decked out in red and gold, reminiscent of the famous Chinese lantern. The name symbolizes warmth, friendship, courage and perseverance. The lantern design holds extra significance refering to the Chinese New Year, when lanterns are commonly hung and carried.