Rio 2016 mascots represent Brazil's diverse wildlife
The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic mascots were chosen in a nationwide design competition won by a company based in São Paulo
The Organizing Committee of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games has announced its official mascots.
A mostly yellow, catlike character was designed to represent Brazil's diverse fauna in the Olympic Games, whereas the mascot of the Paralympic Games is predominantly blue with yellow-green (the major colors in Brazil's flag), treetop-shaped hair, capturing the richness of the country's natural landscape.
The two were chosen in a nationwide design competition won by a company based in São Paulo. Besides drawing inspiration from Brazil's wildlife, they mix influences and elements of pop culture, like cartoon and video game characters.
The names of the mascots will be chosen in a vote on the official Rio 2016 website and Twitter profile. Three name pairs are shortlisted – Oba & Eba (two interjections of happiness), Tiba Tuque & Esquindim (sounding like references to Brazil's swinging musical rhythms including the samba), and Vinicius & Tom (named after the two world-famous Brazilian songwriters, Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim, who collaborated in writing The Girl from Ipanema).
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Rio 2016 mascots represent Brazil's diverse wildlife
