The mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014 have
been presented to the judges. The winners will be elected via
SMS-voting on February 26, RIA Novosti reports.
The First Channel presented the ideas for the mascots. The
presentation started with an insight into the history of Olympic
mascots. There were 10 presentations, rather than the expected 13. The
short-list included Snezhinka (snowflake) and Ldinka (ice).
Matryoshka, Dolphin and Bullfinch were also competing.
The first one presented was the White Bear. He was followed by Small
People, resembling a boy and a girl. The boy comes from a planet where
it is hot, the girl – from a planet where it is cold. The next mascot
was the Dolphin from the Moscow dolphinarium. He was followed by the
presentation of the Sun’s junior sister – the star. Then came Father
Frost.
The mascot of the Brown Bear was presented with a small video clip
about the Olympic mascot of 1980. The 2011 version lacked attributes
on his body and had small eyes.
There were 4 Matryoshkas. Each had its own unique ability: strength,
agility, commitment and intellect.
The Bullfinch was urging everyone to engage in sports in the winter
forest. The Leopard resembled a mountain rescuer with a penchant for
snowboarding. The presentation ended with Zaika (hare), who likes
sports, singing and dancing.
The Director General of the First Channel, Constantine Ernst, said
that there may be three mascots selected if they receive almost the
same number of votes.
The winners will be seen at the talisman.sochi2014.ru website. People
from all over the world can monitor the life of the mascots and
communicate with them online.
