8 Legendary (and Adorable!) Olympic Games Animal Mascots

By Colleen Oakley

Mascots. They make an appearance at every American sporting event to infuse the crowd with team spirit and pride. So it only makes sense that the world's largest sporting event - the Olympic Games - has them, too.

The mascot for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is Wenlock, a curious creature that can be best described as a one-eyed drop of steel. But in years past, many host cities opted for more fun and cuddly critters - like these eight past Olympic mascots.

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Photo by: Flickr via Numerius
Misha the Bear, 1980 Moscow Games

Deciding on the mascot for these games was easy - the bear was the national symbol of the Soviet Union. But creating him was a bit more difficult: It took renowned children's book illustrator Victor Chizhikov six months and 100 drawings to come up with the furry Mikhail Potapych Toptygin, who's affectionately known as Misha.
Photo by: Flickr via Numerius
Misha the Bear, 1980 Moscow Games

Deciding on the mascot for these games was easy - the bear was the national symbol of the Soviet Union. But creating him was a bit more difficult: It took renowned children's book illustrator Victor Chizhikov six months and 100 drawings to come up with the furry Mikhail Potapych Toptygin, who's affectionately known as Misha.

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