The Olympic Mascots are characters, usually an animal native to the area
or occasionally human figures, who represents the cultural heritage of
the place where the Olympic Games are taking place.
The mascot serves to inject a sense of personality into the Games,
capturing the styles, traditions and cultures, in an animated form, of
the people of the host country. The mascot also serves as
a symbol to be enjoyed and understood by youth, whose inspiration is
important to the Olympic movement. In addition, an attractive, animated
mascot also serves as an appealing commercial item.