List of Olympic mascots facts for kids

The Olympic mascots are special characters, often animals or people, that represent the culture and spirit of the place hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are like friendly ambassadors for each event!

The idea of having an Olympic mascot started a long time ago. The 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles had an unofficial mascot. But the first really famous mascot for the Summer Olympics was Misha the bear at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Since the 2010 Vancouver Games, the mascots for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been introduced together.

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

The Story of Olympic Mascots

The very first Olympic mascot appeared at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France. It was called "Schuss," a small skier designed with the colors of France: blue, red, and white. However, the first official Olympic mascot was Waldi, a Dachshund dog, at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Waldi was a popular dog breed in Bavaria, Germany, and showed qualities like strength, determination, and quickness, which are important for athletes. Waldi even had three colors from the Olympic flag!

These early mascots were very popular. They helped the idea of a mascot become a key part of the Olympic Games. Mascots are usually simple, colorful, and cheerful, fitting the fun and celebratory mood of the Olympics. They also carry important messages about the host city and its culture.

Olympic Mascots Through the Years

Games	City	Name	Type of Character	Meaning	Image
1932 Summer Olympics	Los Angeles	Smoky	Scottish terrier	An unofficial mascot born in the Olympic Village.
1968 Winter Olympics	Grenoble	Schuss	Skier	An unofficial abstract skier in French colors.
1968 Summer Olympics	Mexico City	Red Jaguar	Cat	An unofficial jaguar.
1972 Summer Olympics	Munich	Waldi	Dachshund dog	A popular dog breed in Bavaria, showing strength and agility.
1976 Winter Olympics	Innsbruck	Schneemann	Snowman	Represented the "Games of Simplicity."
1976 Summer Olympics	Montreal	Amik	Beaver	One of Canada's national symbols.
1980 Winter Olympics	Lake Placid	Roni	Raccoon	Its face looked like a competitor's hat and goggles. Named after the Adirondack Mountains.
1980 Summer Olympics	Moscow	Misha (Миша)	Brown Bear	The bear was a national symbol of the Soviet Union.
1984 Winter Olympics	Sarajevo	Vučko	Wolf	Showed humans wanting to be friends with animals. Changed how wolves were seen.
1984 Summer Olympics	Los Angeles	Sam	Bald eagle	The symbol of the United States.
1988 Winter Olympics	Calgary	Hidy and Howdy	Polar bears	Represented friendly Western Canadian people.
1988 Summer Olympics	Seoul	Hodori (호돌이)	Siberian tiger	Common in Korean stories and legends.
1992 Winter Olympics	Albertville	Magique	Man-star/snow imp	A unique, magical character.
1992 Summer Olympics	Barcelona	Cobi	Catalan sheepdog	Designed in a modern, artistic style.
1994 Winter Olympics	Lillehammer	Håkon and Kristin	Humans	Dressed in Viking clothes. The first human mascots.
1996 Summer Olympics	Atlanta	Izzy	Unknown	The first mascot made using computer graphics.
1998 Winter Olympics	Nagano	The Snowlets: Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki	Owls	Represented Japan's four main islands. Their names combine to form "Snowlets."
2000 Summer Olympics	Sydney	Olly (from "Olympic")	Kookaburra	Showed the generous Olympic spirit.
		Syd (from "Sydney")	Platypus	Represented Australia's environment and people's energy.
		Millie (from "Millennium")	Echidna	Represented the new millennium. All three are common Australian animals.
2002 Winter Olympics	Salt Lake City	Powder (a.k.a. Swifter)	Snowshoe hare	All three were native animals of Utah. They were named after important natural resources and linked to local American Indian legends.
		Copper (a.k.a. Higher)	Coyote
		Coal (a.k.a. Stronger)	American black bear
2004 Summer Olympics	Athens	Athena and Phevos	Brother and sister	Two modern children looking like ancient Greek dolls.
2006 Winter Olympics	Turin	Neve and Gliz	Snowball and Ice cube	"Snow and Ice." Neve (snow) was a red snowball showing friendship. Gliz (ice) was a blue ice cube showing joy.
2008 Summer Olympics	Beijing	The Fuwa (福娃): Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, Nini	Koi, giant panda, Olympic Flame, Tibetan antelope, swallow	Their names together mean "Beijing welcomes you." Each represented an Olympic ring and a Feng Shui element.
2010 Winter Olympics	Vancouver	Miga	Sea Bear	Part orca (killer whale) and part kermode bear.
		Quatchi	Sasquatch	From Canadian myths and legends.
		Mukmuk	Vancouver Island marmot	Not an official mascot, but their special "sidekick".
2012 Summer Olympics	London	Wenlock	A drop of steel with a camera for an eye.	Named after a village that hosted early Olympic-style games. Showed the UK's Industrial Revolution.
2014 Winter Olympics	Sochi	Bely Mishka (Polar Bear), Snow Leopard (leopard), Zaika (the dore hare) (Леопард, Зайка, Белый Мишка)		The first mascots chosen by a public vote.
2016 Summer Olympics	Rio de Janeiro	Vinicius	A mix of all Brazilian mammals	Inspired by Brazilian animals. Named after a famous poet.
2018 Winter Olympics	Pyeongchang	Soohorang (수호랑)	A white tiger	A white tiger, a symbol of trust, strength, and protection in Korean stories.
2020 Summer Olympics	Tokyo	Miraitowa (ミライトワ)	Robot	A superhero-like robot showing old traditions and new ideas. Chosen by Japanese schoolchildren.
2022 Winter Olympics	Beijing	Bing Dwen Dwen (冰墩墩)	Panda	A panda in an ice suit, sharing the Olympic spirit.
2024 Summer Olympics	Paris	The Olympic Phryge	Phrygian cap	Based on the Phrygian Cap, a symbol from the French Revolution.
2026 Winter Olympics	Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo	Tina	Ermine	Named after Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the host cities.
2028 Summer Olympics	Los Angeles	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
2030 Winter Olympics	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
2032 Summer Olympics	Brisbane	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA

Youth Olympic Mascots

The Youth Olympic Games also have their own special mascots!

Games	City	Name	Type of Character	Meaning	Picture
2010 Summer Youth Olympics	Singapore	Lyo and Merly	Red male lion (Lyo), Blue female merlion (Merly)	Represented Singapore as the "Lion City" and its national symbol, the Merlion.
2012 Winter Youth Olympics	Innsbruck	Yoggl	Alpine Chamois	Yoggl showed the spirit of the host city.
2014 Summer Youth Olympics	Nanjing	Lele(砳砳)	Yuhua Stone	Inspired by "Rain-Flower Pebbles" from the host city. "Lele" sounds like the Chinese word for happiness.
2016 Winter Youth Olympics	Lillehammer	Sjogg	Lynx	A lynx, a wild cat found in the region.
2018 Summer Youth Olympics	Buenos Aires	Pandi	Jaguar	A young jaguar. Its name combines its scientific name and the idea of the "digital world."
2020 Winter Youth Olympics	Lausanne	Yodli	A cow, Saint Bernard dog and a goat hybrid.	Named after a yodeling singing style. Yodli is a mix of animals common in the Swiss mountains.
2024 Winter Youth Olympics	Gangwon Province	Moongcho	A snowball born from a snowball fight between Soohorang and Bandabi.	A playful snowball character.
2026 Summer Youth Olympics	Dakar	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA

See also

In Spanish: Mascota de los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of mascots
• Olympic symbols
• Paralympic mascots
• Paralympic symbols