VANCOUVER 2010: Quatchi, Miga, and Sumi make their debut

2 min
VANCOUVER 2010 Quatchi, Miga, and Sumi make their debut
(2009 Getty Images)

Three lovable and unique critters from Canada made their international debut yesterday, becoming the latest stars in a large galaxy of Olympic Games mascots.  Named Quatchi, Miga, and Sumi, the creatures join a family of official Olympic mascots that extend back to the 1972 Summer Games in Munich.

A Team

The three Vancouver 2010 mascots are distinct and special, both in terms of their personalities and in their physical appearance.  Quatchi is a big, gentle and shy sasquatch.  Miga is a small, mischievous and outgoing “sea bear”.  Sumi, an animal guardian spirit, is a natural-born leader with a passion for protecting the environment. All three are mythical creatures inspired by local geography and legend.  Quatchi and Miga will represent the Olympic Games and Sumi will represent the Paralympic Games, but they will all work together as a team.

Website Features

The Vancouver2010 Organising Committee revealed the mascots to the local community and the world simultaneously through a live theatrical performance in the neighbouring city of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and through its website www.vancouver2010.com.  The website is specifically designed to reach out to a global audience of children and Games fans, offering full mascot biographies, a mascot video, interactive e-cards, colouring pages, and games.  More features will be added as 2010 draws closer.

Fair play and participation

From Munich’s dachshund to Vancouver’s imaginative creatures, the Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots bring humour and light-hearted fun to the Games experience and help provide a warm welcome to athletes and visitors from around the world, sparking excitement, laughter and cheers from children and fans.

The mascots help tell the unique story of each Games and embody the ideals of Olympism and the Paralympic Movement, bringing to life the spirit of friendship, fair play and participation.

VANCOUVER 2010

Vancouver and Whistler will host the XXI Olympic Winter Games from 12 to 28 February 2010 and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 12 to 21 March 2010. The seven Winter Olympic sports that will be on show in Vancouver are Luge, Skiing, Skating, Ice Hockey, Biathlon, Bobsleigh and Curling.