The Olympic symbols and mascots

Тульская область

symbols. Among these are the rings, the motto and the

flame. These symbols transmit a message in a simple and direct manner. They give the Games and the Olympic Movement an identity.

with the Olympic games. The medals are made of gold-plated

silver (commonly described as gold medals), silver, or bronze, and awarded to the top 3 finishers in a particular event.

The kotinos (Greek: κότινος), is an olive branch, originally of wild olive-tree, intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe, introduced by Heracles. In the ancient Olympic Games there were no gold, silver, or bronze medals. There was only one winner per event, crowned with an olive wreath made of wild olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus at Olympia.

The Olympic medals

The kotinos

interlaced to show the universality of Olympics and the meeting

of the athletes of the world during the Olympic Games. On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. Combined in this way, the six colours of the flag (blue, yellow, black, green, red and white) represent all nations.

life philosophy or a code of conduct to follow. The

Olympic motto is made up of three Latin words : citius- altius- fortius.
FASTER — HIGHER — STRONGER
These three words encourage the athlete to give his or her best during competition. To better understand the motto, we can compare it with the Olympic creed : The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight ; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.

of the Games. From the moment the flame is lit,

a very precise ritual is laid down :
– The lighting. In memory of the modern Olympic Games’ ancient origins, the flame is lit in Olympia (Greece) some months before the opening of the Games. The Olympic flame can only be lit by the sun’s rays. – The torch. A new torch is created for each edition of the Games. Each relay runner carries his or her own torch: it is the flame which is passed from runner to runner and which cannot be extinguished.– The relay route. Carried by relay from Olympia to the host city of the Games, the flame crosses different regions, countries and continents.

area or human figures, who represent the cultural heritage of

the place where the Olympic Games are taking place. The mascots are often used to help market the Olympic Games to children, particularly infants. Since the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France the Olympic Games have had a mascot. Starting with the 2010 Vancouver mascots, the Olympic and Paralympic mascots have been presented together.

The Olympic mascots

 France, featuring a cartoon character wearing skis.
1968 Summer Olympics. There were

unoffical dove and jaguar mascots in Mexico city. The Jaguar mascot was based on a throne in the shape of a red jaguar in the "El Castillo" pyramid at Chichen Itzá. The stylized white dove represented the slogan of the games, "Los juegos de la Paz" or "Games of the Peace".

1972 that the first official Olympic mascot was created.
"Waldi", the

first official mascot to appear for the 1972 Munich Games, was a Dachshund. He was modelled after Cherie von Birkenhof, a longhaired breed of the species. Very popular in Bavaria, Waldi also possesses qualities that are indispensable to an athlete: resistance, tenacity, and agility. Waldi was dressed in pastel colors to express the gaiety and joy of the Olympic festival.

the Games of Simplicity.
"Amik" the beaver was chosen as the

official mascot for the Summer Olympic Games of Montreal, 1976. "Amik" in Indian language means beaver. The beaver has always been associated with hard work.

Its face design resembles the hat and goggles used by

competitors. Named for the Adirondack mountain range.

The Moscow Olympic 1980 bear "Misha" was developed by the renowned illustrator of children's books Victor Chizikov. A second, less well-known mascot, was also present during the Moscow Games . The mascot was a seal named "Vigri", who represented the yachting events in Tallinn.

It helped to change the common perception in the region

of wolves as frightening and blood-thirsty.

The eagle "Sam" became the mascot of the Los Angeles Games1984. He was chosen because the imposing bald eagle is the national symbol of the United States. Sam is a cartoon eagle who is dressed in the style of the legendary Uncle Sam, with a star-spangled background in red, white, and blue, the national colors of the United States.

Howdy, two polar bears. Both represent Western Canadian hospitality
"Hodori", the mascot

of the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, portrays the friendly side of a tiger, which is present in many Korean legends. The "Ho" in "Hodori" comes from the Korean word for tiger, and "Dori" is a common masculine diminutive. The Olympic rings adorn the neck of Hodori, and he wears a "Sangmo" hat from a traditional farm dance. The streamer on his hat in the shape of an S stands for Seoul.

a snow imp. It plays with the concept of dream

and imagination through its star-like shape.

The Spaniards did not immediately take to "Cobi", the surreal dog from the Summer Olympic Games of Barcelona 1992, who was designed by local cartoonist Javier Mariscal. "Cobi's" popularity slowly grew and by the end of the Games he was loved universally by the Spanish and the rest of the world.

two Norwegian children, both are dressed in Viking clothes.
The mascot

of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta was an amorphous abstract fantasy figure. It carried the name "Izzy", derived from "Whatizit?" because no one seemed to know exactly what "Izzy" really was.

Lekki and Tsukki, four owls. Representing the four major islands of

Japan. The first syllable of each name combines phonetically to create the word "Snowlets".

"Ollie", a Kookaburra, "Syd", a Platypus; and "Millie", an Echidna, are three native animals chosen as mascots for the Sydney 2000 Games. These Australian animals represent the earth, air and water. "Ollie": epitomizes the Olympic spirit of generosity and universal generosity (from Olympic). "Syd": represents the environment and captures the vigour and energy of Australia and its people (from Sydney). "Millie": is a techno-whiz and information guru, with all the facts and figures at her fingertips (from Millennium).

, Snowshoe Hare, (Swifter). Copper, Coyote, (Higher). Coal, American black

bear, (Stronger). All three mascots are indigenous animals of the US state of Utah, and are named after natural resources important to the state's economy. These animals are major characters in the legends of local American Indians, and these legends are reflected in the story of each mascot. To remind them of this heritage, all mascots wear a charm around their neck with a petro glyph image.

Their creation was inspired by an ancient Greek doll and

their names are linked to Ancient Greece, yet they are children of modern times. His name is of one Olympian god: Phevos, the god of light and music, known as Apollo. Her name is of one Olympian god: Athena, goddess of wisdom and patron of the city of Athens. Phevos and his sister, Athena, represent the link between Greek history and the modern Olympic Games.

a humanized snowball and ice cube.
The five Beijing Olympic Games mascots

are officially called the Fuwa. 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.
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.

sea bear, part orca and part Kermode bear, a rare white bear that

only lives in British Columbia. Quatchi is a young sasquatch, the sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. Sumi is an animal guardian spirit who lives in the mountains of British Columbia, from Galactic News. Sumi’s name comes from the Salish word “Sumesh” which means “guardian spirit.” Muckmuck, a Vancouver Island Marmot, an official mascot, but their designated “sidekick“.

of steel with cameras for eyes. Wenlock's name was inspired

by the Wenlock Olympian Society, an annual Olympic event held in Wenlock, England. Mandeville takes his name from the Stoke Mandeville Games. Wenlock wears five bracelets in the five Olympic ring colors. The three points on his head symbolize the three podiums of the winners (for first, second, and third place), the shape of his head is the same shape as the Olympic stadium, and on his body the logo of the game is printed. Mandeville wears a pink watch set to 0:20:12, and on his head there are three points in red, blue, and green representing the Agitos, which is the symbol of paralympic games.

Polar bear), the Snow Leopard, Zaika (the dore hare), the

Ray of Light and the Snowflake.