A look at all the mascots in Summer Olympic history.
By Ankur Singh
The Bridge
1972 Munich- Waldi
Waldi was the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games. He is a dachshund, a very popular animal in Bavaria, famed for its endurance, tenacity, and agility.
The Bridge
1976 Montreal- Amik
Amik means “beaver” in Algonquin, Amik appears with a red stripe featuring the Montreal Games logo, which symbolises the ribbon traditionally used for the winners’ medals.
The Bridge
Moscow 1980- Misha
The bear is a familiar animal in Russia, appearing in many popular stories, songs and poems. Misha wears a striped belt around his waist made up of five bands in the colours of the Olympic rings.
Sam looks friendly and cheerful in order not to frighten children and to embody the optimism of the Olympic spirit.
The Bridge
Seoul 1988- Hodori
The tiger appears frequently in Korean popular art and legends. With a positive image, it is often associated with humour, bravery and nobility.
The Bridge
Barcelona 1992- Cobi
Cobi is a humanized Pyrenean mountain dog in a cubist style. While his expression and three spiky hairs are the same, he has an impressively large wardrobe.
The Bridge
Atlanta 1996- Izzy
A product of information technology, Izzy is blue and wears training shoes. The five Olympic rings are in various places around his body.
The Bridge
Sydney 2000- Syd, Olly and Millie
The three mascots are a duck-billed platypus (Syd), a kookaburra (Olly) and an echidna or spiny anteater (Millie). They symbolize the water, air and earth respectively.
The Bridge
Athens 2004- Phevos and Athena
Phevos and Athena are brother and sister. They symbolize the pleasure of playing and the values of Olympism.
The mascots correspond to the five natural elements and, apart from Huanhuan, to four popular animals in China. Each mascot represents the colour of one of the five Olympic rings.
The Bridge
London 2012- Wenlock
According to the story by Michael Morpurgo, Wenlock's metallic look is explained by the fact that he was made from one of the last drops of steel used to build the Olympic Stadium in London.
The Bridge
Rio 2016- Vinicius
Vinicius is a mix of different Brazilian animals. His design takes inspiration from pop culture, as well as video game and animation characters.
The Bridge
Tokyo 2020- Miraitowa
The name MIRAITOWA is based on the Japanese words "mirai", meaning “future”, and "towa", meaning “eternity”, representing the wish that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will lead to a future of everlasting hope in the hearts of everyone around the world.