For over 50 years, Olympic athletes have been cheered on by various mascot figures. The mascot – a symbol that encapsulates the culture and history of the host city – is incredibly important and is often carefully selected and refined before the sporting event takes place.
The International Olympic Committee identifies that mascots help spread the festive atmosphere and represent the enthusiastic spirit of the event. Over the decades, the world has welcomed snowmen, big-footed monsters, cowboy-hat-wearing bears, and aliens. This year, the mascot takes the form of a Phrygian cap – a symbol of the French Revolution that represents the solidarity that helped the French overcome difficulties together.
The Phrygian cap is the mascot for the Summer Olympics Paris 2024 – (Image: AP).
The first mascot was created in 1968 by designer Aline Lafargue for the Grenoble Olympics in France. Named Shuss, the mascot featured a large head in red and white, along with a lightning bolt-shaped body that moved on a skateboard. Lafargue conceived and submitted her design in just one night.
To find a worthy idea, host countries often organize competitions or call for design submissions. In 2014, when organizing the mascot design competition for the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia received over 24,000 submissions. They held a public vote, and the winning idea represented a trio of polar bears, a white rabbit, and a snow leopard, symbolizing the three medal podiums: gold, silver, and bronze.
However, not every country uses public input to gather ideas. When the United States hosted the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, Disney won the contract to design the mascot.
Sam the Eagle designed by Disney for the Summer Olympics Los Angeles 1984 – (Image: CNN).
Cute and lovable mascots not only contribute to the success of the Olympics but also serve as merchandise that generates revenue for the host country. Bing Dwen Dwen, the panda from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, sold like hotcakes, while Sam the Eagle from Disney (Summer Olympics Los Angeles 1984) was not fierce like a real bird but instead had a small, chubby appearance with a constant smile, making it very appealing to children. Even the alien mascot from the Summer Olympics London 2012 was equally adorable.
The Misha bear mascot from the Summer Olympics Moscow 1980 flew into space on a Soyuz rocket two years before the event took place.
Misha Bear mascot from the Summer Olympics Moscow 1980 – (Image: AP).
The Summer Olympics Sydney 2000 was the first Olympic Games of the new millennium and also the first to feature three mascots named Syd, Olly, and Millie, symbolizing Sydney – Olympic – Millennium.
