In Pics | A look at Olympic mascots through the years

Olympic games mascots have always played a pivotal role at the Games ever since 1968. With a mission to give concrete form to the Olympic spirit and spreading the values, these mascots promote the rich history and culture of the host city and give the event a festive atmosphere. Here's a look at the mascots of the summer and winter Olympic games, from 1968 till today.

Beijing 2022: Olympic mascot Panda

Beijing 2022: Shuey Rhon Rhon, an anthropomorphic lantern, is the Beijing Paralympics mascot. Credit: Olympics.com

Tokyo 2020: Olympic mascot

Tokyo 2020: Paralympic counterpart

Pyeongchang 2018: Soohorang, the mascot of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, took its motif from the white tiger. Credit: Olympics.com

Rio 2016: Vinicius, the Olympic mascot was named after the Brazilian poet and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes. Credit: Olympics.com

Sochi 2014: The Hare, the Polar Bear and the Leopard - Sochi had three mascots in a nod to the three places on the Olympic podium. Credit: Olympics.com

London 2012: Deriving its name from the town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, Wenlock was created as the mascot for the London 2012 Games. Credit: Olympics.com

Vancouver 2010: Quatchi and Miga - mascots were creatures inspired by the fauna and tales of the First Nations on the West coast of Canada. Credit: Olympics.com

Beijing 2008: (L-R) Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, Nini - the mascots correspond to the five natural elements and, apart from Huanhuan, to four popular animals in China. Credit: Olympics.com

Turin 2006: Neve and Gliz - Neve is a snowball while Gliz is an ice cube. Together, they represent the fundamental elements required for successful Winter Games and personify Winter sports. Credit: Olympics.com

Athens 2004: Phevos and Athena owe their strange shape to a typical terracotta doll in the shape of a bell from the 7th century BC, the “daidala”. Symbolising the pleasure of playing and the values of Olympism. Credit: Olympics.com

Sal Lake City 2002: The names Powder, Coal and Copper are an allusion to Utah's snow, its natural resources and its land. Powder is a snowshoe hare; Copper is a coyote, and Coal, a bear. Credit: Olympics.com

Sydney 2000: The three mascots are a duck-billed platypus (Syd), a kookaburra (Olly) and an echidna or spiny anteater (Millie). They symbolise the water, air and earth respectively. Credit: Olympics.com

Nagano 1998: Winter Olympics mascots Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki are four snowy owls. They represent, respectively, fire (Sukki), air (Nokki), earth (Lekki) and water (Tsukki). Credit: Olympics.com

Atlanta 1996: Izzy, a product of information technology, is blue and wears training shoes. The five Olympic rings are in various places around his body. Credit: Olympics.com

Lillehammer 1994: Haakon and Kristin - the XVII Winter mascots' names refer to historical figures from the 13th century whose destiny is closely linked to Norway and the Lillehammer. Credit: Olympics.com

Albertville1992: Magique, a little imp in the shape of a star and a cube, was the first mascot that was not an animal since the Innsbruck 1976 Games. Credit: Olympics.com

Barcelona 1992: The name, Cobi, is an allusion to COOB'92, an abbreviation of the Barcelona '92 Olympic Organising Committee. Credit: Olympics.com

Calgary 1988: XV Winter Olympics mascots Hidy and Howdy are polar bears representing the Calgary region's hospitality. Credit: Olympics.com

Seoul 1988: Summer Olympics mascot Hodori was created to spread a positive image, bravery and nobility. Credit: Olympics.com

Los Angeles 1984: Summer Olympics mascot Sam looks friendly and cheerful in order not to frighten children and to embody the optimism of the Olympic spirit. Credit: Olympics.com

Sarajevo 1984: The 1984 Winter Games mascot came in the guise of a wolf, an animal typically found in the forests of the Dinaric Alps region. Credit: Olympics.com

Moscow 1980: Misha bear, the Moscow Summer Olympics mascot, was a familiar animal in Russia who appeared in many popular stories, songs and poems. Credit: Olympics.com

Lake Placid 1980: Roni - a racoon was chosen as the mascot for the XIII Winter Olympics as the animal is popular from the mountainous region of the Adirondacks where Lake Placid is situated. Credit: Olympics.com

Montreal 1976: Amik was the mascot of the 1976 Summer Olympics. Amik appears with a red stripe featuring the Montreal Games logo, which symbolises the ribbon traditionally used for the winners’ medals. Credit: Olympics.com

Innsbuck 1976: The official mascot of the XII Olympic Winter Games bears the name Schneemandl. Credit: Olympics.com

Munich 1972: Waldi was the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games. He is a dachshund, a very popular animal in Bavaria, famed for its endurance, tenacity and agility. Credit: Olympics.com

Schuss was the forgotten first mascot since he functioned in an unofficial capacity. The little man on skis was present at the Grenoble Olympic Games in 1968. Credit: Olympics.com