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Olympic Sumer Games Mascots

 


Olympic Summer Games
Mascots

 

 

Mascot
Details
Waldi
Waldi, 1972 Olympic Summer Games in Munich, Germany

Waldi, the dachshund. Very popular in Bavaria, he possesses qualities which are indispensable to an athlete: resistance, tenacity and agility. These are among the reasons he was chosen to be the mascot. He was dressed in pastel colors to express the gaiety and joy of the Olympic festival.
Amik
Amik, 1976 Olympic Summer Games in Montreal, Canada

A beaver called Ami. The name was taken from the Algonquian language which is the most popular language amongst the American Indians in Canada. Amik means beaver.
Misha

Misha, 1980 Olympic Summer Games in Moscow



The Moscow Olympic bear, Misha, was developed by the renowned illustrator of children's books Victor Chizikov.

Sam

Sam the Eagle, 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, USA



Designed by Walt Disney, Sam is a cartooned Eagle with sheer American characteristics who wears the dress of the legendary American Uncle Sam with red, white and blue, typical colors of the USA. Commercial use of mascots was initiated henceforth.

Hodori

Hodori, 1988 Olympic Summer Games in Seoul, Korea



For the 1988 Olympic Games, a little tiger designed by Kim Hyun with typical Oriental color, was chosen as the mascot. Hodori was designed as an amicable tiger which portrays the friendly and hospitable traditions of the Koreans. The name was chosen from 2.295 suggestions sent in by the public. It is derived from the Korean word for tiger and dori, a diminutive for boys in Korea.

Cobi

Cobi, 1992 Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain



The mascot was a dog named Cobi. The Valencian artist, Javier Mariscal, created Cobi, inspired on a sheep dog, as official mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. The Barcelona Organizing Committee for the Olympics had specially produced a TV series for Cobi to communicate the spirits of the Games.

Izzy

Izzy, 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, USA

 

Izzy was the first mascot designed by computer. It was an amorphous abstract fantasy figure. It carried the name Izzy, derived from "What is it?" because no one seemed to know exactly what Izzy really was.

Syd, Olly and Millie
Syd, Olly and Millie, 2000 Olympic Summer Games in Sydney, Australia

Olly, Syd and Millie, designed by Matthew Hattan, are three native Australian animals chosen as mascots for the Sydney 2000 Games. They represent earth, air and water. Olly (from Olympics), a kookaburra, represents the Olympic spirit of generosity. Syd (from Sydney), a platypus, represents the environment and captures the vigor and energy of Australia and its people. Millie (from millennium), an echidna, is a techno-whiz and information guru with all the facts and figures at her fingertips.
Athena and Phevos

Athena and Phevos, 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens, Greece



The lovely mascots, Athena and Phevos, with their whacking feet, longish necks and puny heads, one in deep yellow and the other in deep blue, are based on dolls, thousands of years old, found at archeological sites in Greece. Greek mythology had it that Phevos and Athena are brother and sister, named after two Greek gods: Phevos, the god of light and music, and Athena, goddess of wisdom and patron of the city of Athens.

Beibei
Jingjing Huanhuan YingyingNini

Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini
2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China

The five mascots are officially called the Five Friendlies. They are Beibei, the fish; Jingjing, the panda; Huanhuan, the Olympic flame; Yingying, the Tibetan antelope; and Nini, the swallow. The first syllables from their two-syllable names form a line that reads “Beijing Huanying Ni”, or in English – “Welcome to Beijing”. The mascot’s colours were chosen in line with the colours of the Olympic rings.

In the ancient culture of China, there is a great tradition of spreading blessings through signs and symbols. Each of the mascots symbolises a different blessing and will honour this ancient tradition by bringing their blessings to the children of the world. Beibei represents the blessing of prosperity, Jingjing the blessing of happiness, Huanhuan the blessing of passion, Yingying the blessing of health and Nini the blessing of good luck.


Also see the Olympic Winter Games Mascots
Credit: IOC/Olympic Museum Collections

  

 
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