Ice-Cubes, Animals, and Fantastic Beasts: How Olympic Mascots Have Changed Over the Years

Tokyo 2020 Mascots Miraitowa and Someity were chosen by children from Japanese elementary schools to represent the Olympic and Paralympic games respectively. Miraitowa is a creature that embodies the Japanese attitude toward tradition and innovation of the local culture, while Someity, whose name derives from the phrase “so mighty,” represents Paralympic athletes and their will to achieve the "unachievable."

Check out Sputnik's photo gallery to see how Olympic mascots from various host countries have changed over the years.

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mascot Miraitowa poses with a display of the Olympic symbol after an unveiling ceremony of the symbol on Mt. Takao in Hachioji, west of Tokyo, Japan, 14 April 2021, to mark 100 days before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

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These Disney-style Tyrolean characters appeared for the first time at Kitzbuhel, Austria during the world downhill ski events, January 1975. They represented the official Mascot for the Winter Olympic Games, held around Innsbruck, Austria, 1976.

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A vendor poses with the mascots (L-R) Miga and Mukmuk in a shop selling Olympic merchandise in Whistler on 7 February 2010. The two represented spirit of the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver.

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The wooden mascots of the Winter Olympics watch over one of the main shopping streets in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994.

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Shoppers walk past a store window that displays Misha the Bear Cub, the 1980 Moscow Olympic mascot, and other Olympic souvenirs in downtown Moscow.

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Olympic mascot Athena, right, lifts an empty bar as her brother Olympic mascot Phevos looks on during a break in the sessions at the Nikaia Olympic, the Summer Olympics in Athens, 2004.

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Cobi, official mascot of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, comes up to the surface in Barcelona's Port during the celebration of the arrival of the Olympic Flag, .

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Shoppers examine Vinicius des Moraes, a blend of native Brazilian animals, who was designed for the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

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Vucko the Wolf, the symbol for the 14th winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo's Yugoslavia, dances with Howdy the bear who was the symbol for the upcoming Winter Games, held in Calgary, Canada at the closing ceremonies for the games in Sarajevo. The ceremony was held at Zetra Arena in 1984.

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The 2006 Turin Winter Olympic mascots Neve, at left, and Gliz perform during their presentation in Rome, 28 September 2004. The Olympic mascots, representing a ball of snow and a block of ice, were designed by Portuguese designer Pedro Albuquerque.

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The 2012 London Olympic mascot Wenlock is surrounded by kids who are thoroughly examining the creature.

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Soohorang is a white tiger who was the official mascot for the 2018 South Korea Winter Olympics.

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The mascots for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games made their first public appearance in Sydney. The mascots were based on native Australian animals. They are Millie, the Echidna (L), Syd, the Platypus (C), and Olly, the Kookaburra (R).

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Izzy, the mascot for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, made his debut down New York's Broadway during the annual Thanksgiving Day parade in1993.

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Girls dance with the mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games at an unveiling ceremony in Beijing 11 November 2005. On that day, celebrities and public figures attended the glittering extravaganza to announce the five different mascots as the capital marked the 1,000 days-to-go before the Olympic Games begin here.

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The Hare, the Polar Bear, and the Leopard were chosen as the official mascots of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. This image shows the Hare joining spectators during the Olympic Hockey game between the US and Finland.

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