Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The official mascots for the next Winter Games, being held two years from now in Milan-Cortina, Italy, will be a pair of, well, weasels known for their luxurious winter pelts, who hang out with a half-dozen snowdrops.
Named Milo and Tina after the names of the two host cities, the sibling stoats are "the ideal animals to embody the contemporary Italian spirit," according to the International Olympic Committee.
Often referred to as ermine when their coats turn white in the winter, stoats are "curious by nature" and have "liveliness and speed" along with "the resilience necessary to adapt to a challenging habitat such as the mountains," the International Olympic Committee said.
More than just a symbolic representation of a region hosting an Olympics, mascots can also be a big moneymaker for Games organizers through the sale of stuffed toys and other merchandise.
Paris, the host the 2024 Summer Games, went with a hat, the bright red Phrygian cap worn as a symbol of liberty during the French and even the American Revolutions and dating back to ancient Greece, when they were donned by freed slaves.
When Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Games, a trio of cartoonish critters found in Utah were selected as mascots: Powder, the snowshoe hare; Copper, the coyote; and Coal, the black bear, all named for Utah's natural resources.
What organizers of Utah's hoped-for 2034 Winter Games might come up with as a mascot remains to be seen. Salt Lake City is the preferred host for 2034, but a final decision won't be made by the IOC until July.
Stoats probably won't be considered, since the creatures "are fairly uncommon to see in Utah," although they can be found at high elevations, according to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spokeswoman Faith Heaton Jolley.
Utah is pretty far south of their natural range, she said, and if they do turn up, they're likely to be called ermine and short-tailed weasels since stoat is an English name that's used in Europe.
Italy decided to go with them after conducting an online poll a year ago during the country's most famous song contest. Italians were asked to pick choices submitted by schoolchildren, a pair of flowers wearing boots or stoat siblings in helmets.
The International Olympic Committee sees the Italian mascots as carrying "a strong message of inclusion and optimism."
Milo, who retains his brown coat, is the Paralympic mascot. He is described as having been born without a leg but "with a little ingenuity and a lot of willpower," and has learned to use his tail in its place.
Snow-white Tina moved from the mountains to the city but still considers nature her home and "does everything she can to protect it and keep it as beautiful as it was when she was born."
Their watery pals go by "The Flo." A tweet from Milan-Cortina organizers shows them as tiny, ski-suited creatures with floppy white hats dancing around Milo and Tina, just "six cute snowdrops each with their own personality and peculiarities!"
