The idea of an Olympic mascot was officially approved (官方批准) at the 73rd Session of the International Olympic Committee (国际奥委会) in Munich (慕尼黑) in 1972. Since then, mascots have become a major element (元素) of the Olympic brand. Mascots act as avehiclefor communicating the Olympic spirit to the general public, especially children and youth. They have come in many shapes and sizes. They all show the theme (主题) of the Olympic Games and the special geographical features, history and culture of the host city.
Here is the list of some mascots for the Olympics.
| 20th; 1972; Munich; Germany; Europe |
| 23rd; 1984; Los Angeles; America; North America |
| 26th; 1996; Atlanta; America; North America; |
| 27th; 2000; Sydney; Australia; Oceania |
| 29th; 2008; Beijing; China; Asia |
| 31st; 2016; Rio: Brazil; South America |
