Lillehammer 2016The Mascot

Name

Sjogg

Sjogg means “snow” in the Gudbrandsdal, the valley where Lillehammer is located.

Description

The mascot is a sporty-looking lynx whose clothing illustrates the look of the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lillehammer 2016.

Creator

Line Ansethmoen

Did You Know?

The mascot selection process began in February 2012 with the launch of a competition open to anyone aged between 15 and 25. The Organising Committee then selected the 33 best candidates. These were then assessed by a jury composed of four people from the worlds of fashion, design, media and sport: Simen Staalnacke, Julie Strømsvåg, Birgit Skarstein and Marianne Ågotnes.

The jury selected three finalist designs, a moose, a weasel and a lynx. Between the end of May and the beginning of June 2014, these designs were voted on by the public via Facebook. More than 3,200 people voted. With 1,462 votes, it was the lynx that won, beating the weasel by just 30 votes. In December 2014, the final design of the mascot, named Sjogg, was presented.

Line Ansethmoen, who designed the lynx, is from Lillehammer herself. She was 18 when she took part in the mascot competition.