Everyone will have the opportunity to send in their ideas to the Sochi Organising Committee and the winners will be announced during a live television show early next year.

"We hope the new mascot will be as good as the Olympic bear [Misha]," said Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President and chief executive of Sochi 2014.

"The Olympic Mascot will become the most important symbol of the Sochi Games over the next few years and will represent Russia on the world stage.

"It should reflect the national and cultural characteristics of Russia, be in keeping with the spirit of the occasion, generate positive emotions and promote Olympic and Paralympic values.

"So we have made an unprecedented decision - to get our mascot designed by the whole country.

"Yes, it will be a challenge, but we are ready to ensure that every vote is heard."

Among those who will be involved in choosing the mascot will be Victor Andreyevich Chizhikov, the designer of Misha.

Today was chosen to launch the competition because September 1 is the first day back at school for Russian children.

Drafts are welcome in any form, and can be submitted either via the official website of the Sochi mascot contest, by regular mail or at the outlets of Sochi 2014 sponsors, including Megafon and Bosco Sports.

Passengers on Aeroflot and Russian Railways will also be able to enter by designing a mascot during their journey's and then uploading them to the website or mailing them.

The deadline for submissions is November 30.

Then a celebrity panel of 25 judges, including pop singers, film stars and some of Russia's top sportsmen and women, will narrow down the designs, which will be given professional treatment.

A live television show will then be broadcast on February 7 - which will mark three years to the start of the 2014 Olympics - where viewers will be able to vote by text message, via telephone and on the internet.

A mascot will be chosen for the Olympics and Paralympics.

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