The official illustrated sticker album for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games was launched on Wednesday (25 May) at a star-studded ceremony at the Olympic city's glitzy horse-racing track. The album and stickers will go on sale in Brazil on Friday (3 June).

They proved an instant hit with athletes who are among the collection. "I have always collected stickers," said basketball player Anderson Varejão of NBA team the Golden State Warriors. "I can't wait to get my own sticker." Varejão holds pride of place on the cover of the Rio 2016 album, alongside women's football star Marta and record-breaking Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias.

Brazilian gymnast Diego Hypolito was also excited to see the album and stickers. "I came here straight from training," he said. "I love collecting."

To complete the 56 pages of the album, collectors will have to hunt down a total of 374 stickers. The majority of the stickers are of Brazilian athletes who will be competing at Rio 2016, plus other Brazilians who made their mark at previous Games, such as swimmer Ricardo Prado, silver medallist at Los Angeles 1984. 

"It's great to have this recognition after such a long time," said Prado, who is now director of aquatic sports at Rio 2016.

Mascots Tom and Vinicius debut Lego look for Rio 2016

Paralympic swimming star Joana Neves will be filling in the album with her eight-year old daughter (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

The Rio 2016 organising committee has produced the album in partnership with Italian publishing group Panini. The publishers expect to sell more than a million copies across Brazil.

Stickers and stories

There is much more to the album than just stickers of Brazilian athletes. The album also covers the story of the Games from their birth in ancient Greece, their revival at Athens 1896, the start of the Paralympic Games at Rome 1960 up to the first Games to be held in South America, in just over two months' time. Within its pages, Rio 2016 mascots Vinicius and Tom share the limelight with Moscow 1980 counterpart Misha the bear and a series of today's interrnational stars, such as Usain Bolt, Lebron James and Novak Djokovic.

The album also includes a handy map and guide to the competition venues for Rio 2016.

A small group of lucky children were invited to the launch and immediately set about filling in their albums and swapping stickers.  "I really want Neymar," eight-year-old Pedro Toledo said. "I think it's going to be one of hardest to find stickers."

 Brazilian children didn't wait long before getting down to the important business of trading stickers (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)