Summer Olympic Mascots

Waldi
The puppy Waldi, of the dachshund breed, was the pioneer among the mascots of the Olympic Games. It was chosen to represent the Munich 1972 Olympic Games because this type of dog has important characteristics for athletes such as endurance, tenacity and agility. Created by Otl Aicher, one of the most important German designers of the 20th century, the dog was a commercial success. More than 2 million Waldis have been sold in 20 countries around the world.

Amik
The mascot of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games was a beaver named Amik. The choice for the animal, a native of Canada, also happened because it has important characteristics for an athlete: patience and hard work due to the effort he makes to build the dams where he lives. The name by which he was baptized means beaver in the Algonquin language, the most widespread among the country's Indians.

Misha
The Misha bear can be considered the biggest “celebrity” among all mascots in the history of the Olympic Games. The image of tears falling from it's face at the closing ceremony of the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games moved the world. The teddy bear was a real commercial success, turned into a cartoon on TV and had its image printed on several types of products. The creator was Victor Chizhikov, a children's book illustrator, who won a contest against more than 60 contestants.

Noggi and Joggi
Noggi and Joggi were the mascots of the Arnheim 1980 Paralympic Games. A Dutch radio contest for the Dutch to make the mascot was done and the winners were a pair of squirrels dressed in clothes that contained the Games logo designed by Necky Oprensen was sold as memorabilia on stands in Arnheim.

Sam
The mascot initially approved to represent the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games was a bear, animal present in the flag of California, state where the host city is located. But Misha's 1980 success made organizers decide to switch animals. Disney studios were hired and the eagle, the American national bird, was chosen. The name Sam had a political connotation as well, since it referred to Uncle Sam, a famous character on the country's army recruitment posters. Bob Moore, one of the main designers of Donald Duck, was the one who idealized the mascot, which was successful, but not even far from reaching the feet of Misha's prestige.

Dan
Created by an art teacher named Maryanne McGrath Higgins and the mascot of the Stoke Mandeville/New York 1984 Paralympic Games, a lion who sweated in sweatpants and sneakers was named after children at a college for the disabled. And he was only the mascot of the games in New York, because in Stoke, no mascot was chosen.

Hodori (Olympics)
The Hodori tiger went through a real marathon before being chosen as the mascot of the Seoul 1998 Olympic Games. The Organizing Committee offered a cash prize to anyone who had the chosen design and, as a result, received more than 4,000 entries. After this initial phase, 14 artists were selected for the final and the design chosen was for a tiger wearing a hat typical of South Korean folk musicians with a ribbon in the shape of the letter S from Seoul. The tiger is part of the country's focus because it represents vigor and fighting spirit. The name was chosen from more than 6 thousand options, a mixture of horangi, which means tiger, and dori, short for boy.

Gomdoori (Paralympics)
Gomdoori is a Korean word derived from "Teddy Bear", While bears are commonly associated with wisdom and courage, the two have their legs tied together, symbolizing the ability to overcome adversity through cooperation and encourage humanity to work together in peace and harmony. They were the mascots of the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games.

Cobi (Olympics)
20 years after Waldi, a puppy was once again the mascot of the Olympic Games. In the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, the chosen one was Cobi, a dog with a modern design and a simple name: a reduced form of the Barcelona Organizing Committee and easy to be pronounced in any language. The creator of Cobi was Javier Mariscal, whose design honored the tradition of the city of Gaudí, with a modern look, without the intention of being fluffy and with flat lines and colors.

Petra (Paralympics)
Made by the same creator of Cobi, Javier Mariscal, Petra is a positive, outgoing, independent, energetic, courageous girl who has no arms. She was the mascot of the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games.

Izzy (Olympics)
It cannot be denied that Izzy, the mascot chosen for the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, had his sympathy there. The difficult thing was to say what it was about, so much so that the name given by the organizers is an abbreviation of “Whatizit”, informal pronunciation of the question “What’s it?”. It was selected from proposals made by 20 companies and the winner was the DESIGNefx studio.

Blaze (Paralympics)
A Phoenix was chosen as the mascot of the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games not only as a symbol of renewal, perseverance and determination, but also because of the importance of the Phoenix being the symbol of the city of Atlanta. Designed by Trevor Irvin, the bright colors, great wingspan and height of the Paralympic mascot make it the embodiment of the will and determination of people with a disability to achieve a full life for themselves. Today, as the symbol of BlazeSports America, it is the most recognized symbol of US Paralympic Sport.

Olly, Sid and Millie (Olympics)
For the first time, there were three mascots in an edition of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Made by designer Matthew Harton, who won a contest open to competitors from around the world, they represented native Australian animals. Olly, whose name derives from the Olympics, is a kookaburra bird, Syd, reduced version of Sydney, is a platypus, and Millie, named after the new millennium, was an echidna, a kind of porcupine.

Lizzy (Paralympics)
Lizzy, the collared caterpillar, was chosen as the mascot of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. The clothing of the Paralympic mascot, colored in green and gold and in the shape of Australia, represents the country, with the ocher body mirroring the color of the earth. Lizzy's strength, determination and attitude symbolize all Paralympic athletes participating in the Games.

Athena and Phevos (Olympics)
The mascots of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games were a tribute to Greek mythology, but they were not very charismatic. Athena and Phevos were named after the brothers of Olympus. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and gave the name to the host city of the Olympics. Phevos was the other name for Apollo, god of light and music. The inspiration for the drawing, made by S. Gogos, was an “aitala”, a 7th century terracotta doll found in excavations.

Proteas (Paralympics)
Proteas, the seahorse, was created to express the values ​​of the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games - Strength, persecution, inspiration and celebration. Spyros Gogos, the creator of Proteas, took a deliberate step away from previous Paralympic mascot designs and created what for him best represents the nature of competitions and the athletes' constant goal of achieving excellence.

The Fuwa (Olympics)
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games had the mark of ostentation and, at times, of exaggeration. The opening ceremony was the most expensive in history and the Olympic torch relay was fired the longest and had the largest number of conductors. All of this was also reflected in the mascots. They have never been so many: five in all! Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. Together, considering only the first syllable of each name, they form the phrase "Beijing welcomes you". Collectively, they were called fuwam, which means "children of good luck". Internationally, they became known as friendlies.

Fu Niu Lele (Paralympics)
The Fu Niu Lele cow was chosen to be the mascot of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games only after 87 original mascot designs were rejected for several reasons. Guanying Wu came up with the cow because, as he grew up on a farm, it was his understanding that cows are gentle creatures that form bonds with the humans who care for them. The Paralympic mascot was painted in colors taken from traditional Chinese New Year designs and gifts. Its name literally means "Cow of Good Luck and Happiness".

Wenlock (Olympics)
Wenlock was the mascot of the London 2012 Olympic Games. According to the story idealized by the children's writer Michael Morpurgo, it represents a drop of steel used in the construction of the Olympic Stadium. The name has to do with Much Wenlock, a place visited in 1890 by the Baron de Coubertin, who would have attended a competition there that inspired him to create the Olympics of the Modern Era.

Mandeville (Paralympics)
Mandeville was the mascot of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Formed from the last steel beam of the Olympic Stadium and made of polished steel to reflect the appearances and personalities of people you meet, your eyes are cameras and the yellow lights on your foreheads are reminiscent of a London taxi. Mandeville, the Paralympic mascot, was named in honor of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, birthplace of Stoke Mandeville Games, today's Paralympic predecessor. The three points on his helmet symbolize the three Agitos of the Paralympic logo, and Mandeville symbolizes friendship.

Vinícius (Olympics)
Vinícius, name chosen in honor of the musician Vinícius de Moraes and mascot of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, represents the diversity of animals in the country - it has the agility of felines, the wiggle of monkeys and the lightness of birds. He has a keen sense of smell, capable of sniffing out adventures, and an audition that helps to find the most lively fans. In addition, you can stretch your arms and legs as you like: you can have your head on the Pão de Açúcar, your feet on the Maracanã and your hands on the Corcovado - all at the same time! Resident of a tree house in the Tijuca Forest, he is a hyperconnected type - he always shares the news on social networks. A "Carioca da gema", is passionate about Brazilian music and spends all day active. In addition to practicing all Olympic sports, he is always doing surfing, slackline, stand up paddle or kite surfing.

Tom (Paralympics)
Tom, the mascot of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games and baptized via popular vote with the name of the famous brazilian singer, songwriter and conductor Tom Jobim is a magical creature, born on October 2, 2009, the day that Rio de Janeiro was chosen as the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. he was born out of the joy of Brazilians in hosting the event. And if your friend Vinícius represents animals, Tom represents nature and all the Brazilian flora. Its mission is "to inspire everyone to use creativity and determination to always achieve more and have fun."

Miraitowa (Olympics)
The mascot chosen to represent the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was chosen after a contest that received 2,042 drawings submitted by Japanese residents. The winner is a robot called Miraitowa, a name that combines the words "mirai" (future) and "towa" (eternity). According to the official description, it symbolizes "the old and the new, echoing the concept of innovation through harmony".

Someity (Paralympics)
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games mascot got its name from Someity, which comes from the japanese expression "someiyoshino", a popular cherry blossom variety. Additionally, it echoes the phrase "so mighty". By concept, Someity has tactile cherry blossom sensors and enormous mental and physical strength. It represents Paralympic athletes, who overcome obstacles and redefine the limits of what is possible.