Here’s everything you need to know about the characters representing the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
EVERY four years, the host country of the Olympics gets to choose their own mascot to represent their nation.
Since the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, the tradition has seen a wide range of mascots, including a wombat, bald eagle and an adorable dachshund dog.
For Rio 2016, the fictional character has taken inspiration from the nation’s wildlife, flora and fauna.
Company director Beth Lula revealed that the feline mascot, Vinicius, was made to reflect the vast diversity of Brazilian culture.
It’s carries traits of Amazonian mammals, such as the agility of cats and grace of birds.
The yellow mascot is named after Vinicius de Moraes, a musician, poet and playwright who was born in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the , Vinicius’ mission is: “To spread joy throughout the world and celebrate the friendship that flourishes between people from all over the world at this super sports event.”
Vinicius isn’t the only mascot set to represent the 2016 Olympic Games.
Tree-like character, Tom, has been created to accompany Vinicius.
According to the official Rio 2016 website, the blue creature is “a fusion of all the plants in the Brazilian forests”.
The quirky character has been named after Brazilian musician, songwriter and composer Tom Jobim.
As with Vinicius, the event organisers have come up with a mission for mascot Tom.
In keeping with the spirit of the Games, Tom’s aim is: “To inspire everybody to use creativity and determination to always reach further and have fun.”
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