Misha

Since the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France the Olympic Games have a mascot, usually an animal native to the area or occasionally human figures representing the cultural heritage. The first major mascot in the Olympic Games was Misha in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Misha was used extensively during the opening and closing ceremonies, had a TV animated cartoon and appeared on several merchandise products, now things commonly practiced not only in the Olympic Games but also other competitions such as the FIFA World Cup. Nowdays, most of the merchandise targeted at younger consumers give more focus on the mascots, rather than the Olympic flag or organization logos. Image File history File links Misza_1980. ... Image File history File links Misza_1980. ... See also: 1968 Winter Paralympics The X Olympic Winter Games were held in 1968 Grenoble, France and opened on February 6. ... Location within France Grenoble (Occitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère River. ... The Olympic Games, or Olympics, is an international multi-sport event taking place every four years and comprising summer and winter games. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, FL. A mascot is something, typically an animal or human character used to represent a group with a common identity, such as a school, professional sports team, or corporation. ... Misha (Миша) is the name of the Russian Bear, Mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games (the XXII Olympiad). ... The Games of the XXII Olympiad were held in Moscow, Soviet Union. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: ▶(?)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... The Football World Cup (official name: FIFA World Cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer). ...

List of mascots

• 1968 Winter Olympics, Grenoble
  • Schuss, a stylized skier
• 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich
  • Waldi, a dachshund dog, popular in Bavaria, which represent the attributes required for athletes - Resistance, Tenacity and Agility.
• 1976 Summer Olympics, Montréal
  • Amik, a beaver, one of the national symbols of Canada
• 1976 Winter Olympics, Innsbruck
  • Schneemann, a snowman representing the Games of Simplicity
• 1980 Summer Olympics, Moscow
  • Misha, a bear cub, designed by children's books illustrator Victor Chizhikov
• 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid
  • Roni the raccoon, a raccoon whose face design resembles the hat and goggles used by competitors
• 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles
  • Sam the Eagle, a bald eagle, symbol of the United States, designed by Robert Moore and The Walt Disney Company
• 1984 Winter Olympics, Sarajevo
  • Vuchko, a little wolf, symbolizing the desire of humans to befriend animals. According to the IOC, it helped change the common perception in the region of wolves as frightening and blood-thirsty.
• 1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul
  • Hodori and Hosuni, two tigers (Hodori is a male cub, Hosuni female), common part in Korean legends.
• 1988 Winter Olympics, Calgary
  • Howdy and Hidy, "The welcome bears", two polar bears representing Western Canadian hospitality. The bear siblings were the first dual mascots in the Olympic Games. The Calgary Zoo sponsored a contest to name the bears. Among the nearly 7,000 entries submitted, the names "Hidy" and "Howdy" were eventually chosen.
• 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona
  • Cobi, a dog designed by Javier Mariscal
• 1992 Winter Olympics, Albertville
  • Magique, a man-star/snow imp
• 1994 Winter Olympics, Lillehammer
  • Haakon and Kristin, two Norwegian children dressed in traditional clothes
• 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta
  • Izzy, an abstract figure whose name was changed from Whatizit (i.e. What is it ?) Izzy proved to be a very unpopular mascot. Busch Gardens, a theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S., named a new Wild Mouse roller coaster after the mascot, but the name was changed within the year.
• 1998 Winter Olympics, Nagano
  • The Snowlets - Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki, four owls, one for each year between Olympic Games. Their names were chosen from public suggestions. The first part of each name can be combined phonetically to create the (arguably nonsensical) phrase "Let's Snow".
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney
  • Olly, a kookaburra representing the Olympic spirit of generosity
  • Syd, a platypus representing the environment and the energy of the people of Australia
  • Millie, an echidna representing the millennium, unofficially nicknamed **"Dickhead" by the comedy duo 'Roy and HG'.
  • Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat, an unofficial mascot, a wombat representing the irreverent Australian sense of humour. Some have argued that Fatso proved more popular than the official mascots in Australia, where it was popularised in television broadcasts by the comedy duo 'Roy and HG'. It is considered by some to be one of the few Olympic mascots (official or otherwise) to be publically popularised at all.
• 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City
  • Powder, a snowshoe hare representing Faster
  • Copper, a coyote representing Higher
  • Coal, a black bear representing Stronger
• 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens
  • Athena and Phevos, brother and sister, two modern children resembling ancient Greek dolls.
• 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin
  • Neve, a female ball of snow
  • Gliz, a male block of ice
• 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing
  • Friendlies consisting of five figures:
    • Beibei, with a fish design
    • Jingjing, with a giant panda and lotus design
    • Huanhuan, the Olympic Flame
    • Yingying, with a Tibetan antelope design
    • Nini, with a swallow design

See also: 1968 Winter Paralympics The X Olympic Winter Games were held in 1968 Grenoble, France and opened on February 6. ... Location within France Grenoble (Occitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère River. ... The Games of the XX Olympiad were held in 1972 in Munich, West Germany. ... For the 2005 Steven Spielberg film, see Munich (film). ... Country of origin Germany Classification Breed standards (external links) The Dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) The dog is a canine mammal of the Order Carnivora and it has been argued it has been domesticated for between 12,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent genetic evidence. ... The Free State of Bavaria  (German: Freistaat Bayern), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were held in 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ... The XII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. ... Innsbruck City Center Innsbruck and Nordkette from south // Geography Innsbruck is a city in western Austria, and the capital of the Tyrol province. ... The Games of the XXII Olympiad were held in Moscow, Soviet Union. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: â–¶(?)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Misha (Миша) is the name of the Russian Bear, Mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games (the XXII Olympiad). ... Genera Ailuropoda Ursus Tremarctos Arctodus (extinct) A bear is a large mammal of the order Carnivora, family Ursidae. ... The XIII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. ... Lake Placid is a village of 2,638 in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, near the center the Town of North Elba and named after an adjacent lake. ... Type species Ursus lotor Linnaeus, 1758 Species Procyon cancrivorus Procyon insularis Procyon lotor Raccoons are mammals native to the Americas in the genus Procyon of the Procyonidae family. ... The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, United States. ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish; Los Ángeles, ) also known simply as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey indigenous to North America, most recognizable as the national bird of the United States. ... The Walt Disney Company (most commonly known as Disney) (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... The XIV Olympic Winter Games were held in 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. ... Coat of Arms of Sarajevo Ferhadija street, the most popular pedestrian street in Sarajevo. ... Wolf Wolf Man Mount Wolf Wolf Prizes Wolf Spider Wolf 424 Wolf 359 Wolf Point Wolf-herring Frank Wolf Friedrich Wolf Friedrich August Wolf Hugo Wolf Johannes Wolf Julius Wolf Max Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf Maximilian Wolf Rudolf Wolf Thomas Wolf As Name Wolf Breidenbach Wolf Hirshorn Other The call... The Games of the XXIV Olympiad were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... Seoul (서울, â–¶(?)) is the capital of South Korea and is one of the most populous cities in the world, located in the northwestern part of the country on the Han River. ... Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four big cats in the Panthera genus. ... The XV Olympic Winter Games were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Heart of the new west City of Calgary, Alberta, Canadas Location. ... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as white bear or northern bear, is a large bear native to the Arctic. ... The Games of the XXV Olympiad were held in 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. ... Barcelona within Barcelonès Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 100. ... Cobi was designed by Javier Mariscal ( b. ... The XVI Olympic Winter Games were held in 1992 in Albertville, France. ... Albertville is a town and commune in southeast France, in the Savoie département, in the French Alps. ... The XVII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. ... County Oppland Landscape Gudbrandsdalen Municipality NO-0501 Administrative centre Lillehammer Mayor (2005) Synnøve Brenden Klemetrud (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 211 477 km² 450 km² 0. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. ... Atlanta is the capital and largest city of Georgia, a state of the United States of America. ... Former Locations Along with the present day parks, there have been 3 other Busch Gardens Parks: Pasadena, California - 1905 to 1937 Van Nuys, California - 1964 to 1984 Houston, Texas - 1971 to 1972 See also Other Busch Entertainment Corp. ... Theme Park Theme Park is a simulation computer game designed by Bullfrog Productions, released in 1994, in which the player designs and operates an amusement park. ... Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. ... ... A Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars (usually seating 4 people or less) riding on top of the track taking tight turns at fairly high speeds and producing high lateral G-forces. ... The XVIII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. ... Zenkoji, ancient temple in Nagano Nagano (長野市) is the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, situated near the junction of the Chikuma River and the Sai River on the island of Honshu, Japan. ... Families Strigidae Tytonidae An owl is any of some 200+ species of solitary, mainly nocturnal birds of prey in the order Strigiformes. ... The Games of the XXVII Olympiad or the Millennium Olympics were held in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. ... Sydney is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian state of New South Wales, as well as Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ... Species Dacelo gaudichaud Dacelo leachii Dacelo novaeguineae Dacelo tyro Kookaburras are very large terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. ... Binomial name Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw, 1799) The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a small, half-aquatic mammal endemic to the eastern part of Australia, and one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young (the other four are echidnas). ... Species Genus Tachyglossus    T. aculeatus Genus Zaglossus    Z. attenboroughi    Z. bruijnii    Z. bartoni    Z. hacketti (extinct)    Z. robustus (extinct) Echidnas, also known in their native Australia by their common name of spiny anteaters, are the only surviving monotremes apart from the Platypus. ... Roy & HG are a noted Australian comedy duo, with Greig Pickhaver,former Flinders Uni student politician, taking the role of HG Nelson and John Doyle as Roy Slaven. ... Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat was an unofficial mascot of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics created and promoted by sports/comedy television program The Dream which covered the event. ... Genera and Species Vombatus É. Geoffroy, 1803 Vombatus ursinus (Shaw, 1800) Lasiorhinus Gray, 1863 Lasiorhinus latifrons (Owen, 1845) Lasiorhinus krefftii Owen, 1873 Wombats are Australian marsupials in appearance rather like a small, very short-legged and muscular bear; approximately one meter (3 feet) in length, and with a mere nubbin of... Roy & HG are a noted Australian comedy duo, with Greig Pickhaver,former Flinders Uni student politician, taking the role of HG Nelson and John Doyle as Roy Slaven. ... The XIX Olympic Winter Games were held in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. ... ... Snowshoe hare Conservation status: Secure Categories: Stub | Leporids ... Binomial name Canis latrans Say, 1823 The coyote (Canis latrans, meaning barking dog, also prairie wolf[1]) is a member of the Canidae (the dog family) and a relative of the domestic dog. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ... The 2004 Summer Olympics are officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (the 28th Summer Olympic Games). ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Soft toys were one of the many items of mascot merchandising available at the 2004 Games. ... Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking world in ancient times. ... The XX Olympic Winter Games will be held in Turin, Italy from February 10 to 26 in 2006. ... Turin (Italian Torino) is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. ... A fresh snowfall in Colorados (USA) high forests. ... A natural, 4 tonne, block of ice on a beach in Iceland Icicles Ice is the solid form of water. ... The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing in the Peoples Republic of China from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony to take place at 8 p. ... â–¶(?) (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Friendlies(), the Mascots of 2008 Summer Olympics. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) A fish is a poikilothermic (cold-blooded) water-dwelling... It has been suggested that Butterstick be merged into this article or section. ... Nelumbo lutea, the American Lotus Lotus berthelotii, Trailing Lotus The term lotus may refer to one of the following. ... The Olympic Flame at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics The Olympic Flame or Olympic Fire is a symbol of the Olympic Games. ... Binomial name Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel, 1826) The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), also commonly called the chiru, is a medium sized antelope which is about four feet in height, native to the Tibetan plateau. ... Genera Many, see text. ...

External links

• Images of all past Olympic mascots
• Olympic Files - Mascots (in Russian)
• Bear Cub Misha Lover's Association, 1980 Summer Olympics mascot Misha's fan page (in Japanese)