We are all aware of how fantastic sports mascots appear. But do you know who the best Olympic mascots are?
Not to worry, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best Olympic mascots ever to grace the stadium in today’s article.
Check it out to see if any of your favorite mascots are on the list.
The 12 Greatest Olympic Mascots of All Time
We created this ranking based on the Sports Show’s research. We cannot guarantee that your favorite mascot will be at the top of the rankings. However, we guarantee that none of the mascots listed below are less well-known.
Also, no mascot is less than the other in any way, so don’t take this ranking seriously.
| Rank | Name of Mascots | Olympics Year |
| 12 | Sam the Olympic Eagle | 1984 |
| 11 | Cobi | 1992 |
| 10 | Vinicius | 2016 |
| 9 | Izzy | 1996 |
| 8 | Soohoorang | 2018 |
| 7 | Sukki, Nokki, Lekki, and Tsukki | 1998 |
| 6 | Powder, Copper, and Coal | 2002 |
| 5 | Neve and Glitz | 2006 |
| 4 | Fuwa | 2008 |
| 3 | Miga, Quatchi, Sumi, and Mukmuk | 2010 |
| 2 | The Leopard, Polar bear, and Hare | 2014 |
| 1 | Wenlock and Mandeville | 2012 |
12. Sam the Olympic Eagle
The Olympic Eagle, Sam, served as the official mascot for the 1984 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles, California. Sab is a bald eagle, the national bird of the United States.
Sam, the mascot’s name, is a play on another American symbol, Uncle Sam. Sam was created by Bob Moore, a great Disney animation artist.
The mascot for the 1984 Summer Olympics was Sam the Eagle, a character from The Muppet Show. However, when it comes to design, these two are not the same.
Similarly, Sam, the eagle wasn’t just used for the Olympics. This mascot was later used to promote the Mt. San Antonio College Relays, a track, and field event.
11. Cobi
Cobi was the official mascot of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain in 1992. Not to mention, Cobi was the best Olympic mascot for the majority of fans that year.
Furthermore, this mascot was inspired by Velázquez’s classic Las Meninas. Did you also know Cobi was a Cubist-style Catalan Sheepdog?
The mascot’s name is derived from the Barcelona Olympic Organizing Committee or COOB.
Although the mascot was released to the public before the 1992 Summer Olympics, it still held up well.
And, of course, the Cobi Troupe was a TV show based on Cobi.
Canada is the country with the most LGBTQ+ athletes competing in the Olympics. However, different countries are involved.
10. Vinicius
Vinicius is the official mascot of the 2016 Summer Olympics, which were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. So Paulo created this one-of-a-kind mascot based on the animation company Birdo.
The designer incorporated elements of cats, monkeys, and birds depicting Brazilian fauna while creating this mascot.
Furthermore, only Brazilian companies were permitted to submit bids for the creation of this mascot.
Furthermore, in August 2013, a panel of judges comprised of media experts and representatives from various Olympic organizations was convened to select the final design.
Finally, on November 23, 2014, the mascot was unveiled to the public following a rigorous selection process. Vinicius de Moraes named the mascot after three weeks of online voting.
9. Izzy
Izzy, the adorable tiny fan-favorite mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, went on to become one of the world’s best Olympic mascots.
To clarify, Izzy was an animated character who could transform into a variety of shapes. Her original name was Whatzit, which stood for “What is it?” in case you didn’t know.
Surprisingly, no animal or person is depicted in the mascot. John Ryan, a senior animation director at Atlanta-based design firm DESIGNefx, created Izzy.
Out of twenty competing design firms, the winning design was chosen to create a masterpiece summer Olympics mascot.
As a result, the mascot became so popular that a roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, was named after it.
8. Soohoorang
Soohorang, the mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics, is one of the best Olympic mascots in the world. Furthermore, this incredible mascot was designed and developed in Korea.
In terms of the meaning behind the name, “Sooho” means “protection” in Korean, symbolizing the protection provided to athletes, participants, and spectators. It also represents the preservation of international peace.
And the word “Rang” is derived from the Korean word “Ho-rang-i,” which means “tiger.” This letter is also the final letter of the popular traditional Korean folk song “Jeongseon Arirang.”
Soohorang, the mascot, was inspired by the white tiger, known as “back” in Korean. In Korea, it is regarded as a sacred guardian animal.
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7. Sukki, Nokki, Lekki, and Tsukki
The “Snowlets,” Sukki, Nokki, Lekki, and Tsukki, were the official mascots of the 1998 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Nagano, Japan.
Furthermore, the four mascots represent the four years that pass between each Olympiad. Sukki represents the element fire, Nokki represents the element air, Lekki represents the element earth, and Tsukki represents the element water.
In addition, the four adorable Snow lets represent Japan’s four major islands.
They deserve to be among the best Olympic mascots because of how adorable they are and what they represent.
Furthermore, the word “Snow lets” is made up of two words:’snow,’ which stands for the Winter Olympics, and ‘lets,’ which means “to invite.”
6. Powder, Copper, and Coal
Powder, Copper, and Coal were the official mascots of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2002.
The mascots were first designed in September 1997 and approved by the International Olympic Committee in December 1998. Powder, Copper, and Coal are one of the cutest Olympic mascots and deserve to be included among the best.
Furthermore, Steve Small, the creator of these mascots, is well-known for his roles in the animated series Rugrats and Hercules.
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee, on the other hand, had to work with San Francisco-based Landor Associates and Publicis to create and sell the mascot.
The authorities unveiled all three mascots on May 15, 1999, at the Triad Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
5. Glitz and Neve
Neve and Glitz are our fifth and final entries for the day. These mascots were the official mascots of the 2006 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Turin, Italy, and were rated as one of the best Olympic mascots.
Furthermore, the TOROC Organizing Committee received 237 mascot design proposals in a mascot design contest for the Olympics on May 20, 2003. The authorities chose five finalists from among the 237 designs.
Furthermore, ‘Neve and Gliz were among the five remaining characters created by Pedro Albuquerque.
Similarly, Neve is a humanized female snowball dressed in a crimson suit that in Italian represents “softness, kindness, and elegance.”
Glitz, on the other hand, is a humanized male ice cube dressed in blue who stands for “Ice” in Italian and represents “enthusiasm and joy.”
4. Fuwa
Fuwa was the official mascot of the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, China. Most importantly, Han Meilin, a well-known Chinese designer, created this fantastic mascot doll.
Fuwa, who deserves a place among the best Olympic mascots of all time, was named the official mascot on November 11, 2005. Fuwa, who was unveiled at a National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies event, went on to become China’s household mascot.
Furthermore, the five Fuwa named after the sentence “Beijing Huan Ying ni” are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. “Beijing cordially welcomes you,” it states.
The Fuwa traveled the world as peace ambassadors, visiting all seven continents. During the mascot’s visit, it was greeted by a celebrity.
3. Miga, Quatchi, Sumi, and Mukmuk
The official mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver, Canada, were Miga, Quatchi, Sumi, and Mukmuk.
Similarly, the design was created by Meomi Design, a Canadian-American firm. Even though they were created a little earlier, the Canadian government made them public on November 27th, 2007.
Furthermore, these mascots became well-known to the general public on the day of the Olympics and Paralympics.
Furthermore, these selections were chosen from among 177 designs submitted from around the world. The Olympic Committee VANOC was in charge of selecting the mascots.
2. The Hare, Leopard, and Polar Bear
The official mascots of the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, were the Leopard, Polar Bear, and Hare.
From September 1 to September 5, 2010, Russia held a nationwide mascot design competition to find the best mascot for the 2014 Olympics.
As a result, at least 24,000 designs were submitted to the judges. On February 7, 2011, a selection of designs was shown to the public on Russia’s national television channel.
Likewise, the authorities selected approximately ten Olympic and three Paralympic designs from that pool.
The Russian people also chose their favorite mascots: the Leopard, Polar Bear, and Hare. As a result, they were chosen as the final mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
1. Mandeville and Wenlock
Finally, to our top spot on the list, Wenlock and Mandeville are the best Olympic mascots to ever walk the Olympic arena.
Furthermore, these out-of-this-world mascots served as the official mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, which were held in London, United Kingdom.
However, these mascots were made available to the public two years before the Olympics. Similarly, the mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville, were designed by Iris, a London-based creative studio.
The Wenlock Olympian Society hosted the first Olympic Games in 1850 in Wenlock, Shropshire, England. This is where the name ‘Wenlock’ came from.
Conclusion
We are all aware of the importance and presence of these mascots in the Olympics. Not to mention how much the host country gives in when it comes to selecting the best mascot for the historic event.
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