One week left to vote for names of Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots
Born out of an explosion of joy, inspired by the diversity of Brazilian animals and plants, the mascots will be christened next Sunday
The Rio 2016 mascots celebrate the diversity of Brazilian nature and culture – now they need names (Rio 2016/André Redlich)
What should the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots be called? You can have your say, but hurry up, because voting closes one week from now, on 14 December. You can vote on the mascots website, the Rio 2016 Twitter feed or Rio 2016 Facebook page.
You can choose from a shortlist of three pairs of names, the first for the Olympic mascot and the second for the Paralympic mascot. The names are Oba and Eba, Tiba Tuque and Esquindim and Vinicius and Tom. Click here to find out what each name means, and then vote.
Legend has it that the Rio 2016 mascots were born out of the great explosion of joy that spread across Brazil when Rio de Janeiro was selected to host the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in South America.
The Olympic mascot is a mixture of all the different animals in Brazil. He combines the agility of cats, the sway of monkeys and the grace of birds. He can stretch his arms and legs as much as he wants. The Paralympic mascot is a fusion of plants found in Brazilian forests. He is energised by photosynthesis and can pull any object from his head of leaves. He is always growing and overcoming obstacles.
Check out the video below, which tells their story:
