Pride was given his name back in July 2008 following a competition on the kids TV Channel Nickelodeon that saw the British Olympic Association (BOA) sift through over 3,500 entries.

The winning entry came from nine-year-old Lilly Sykes from Lincolnshire who explained: "A family of lions is called a pride and it reflects how proud we should be of our country and all our Team GB athletes as they compete with determination and courage at the Olympic Games."

Pride has undergone a rather large makeover since 2008 and now has a colourful red, blue and white mane – the colours that Team GB will wear at the London 2012 Olympics.

Pride is also at the centre of a new range of Team GB and ParalympicsGB products that officially went on sale today.

He will be available to his fans in a number of ways including on books, games, clothing, homewares and of course as a soft toy while he will officially be introduced to the world later this week – when he is likely to give a public statement.

Pride will be crucial in raising funds for London 2012 as by Games time, it is estimated that around 10,000 London 2012 merchandise items will be on sale in the UK and it is anticipated the merchandise programme will generate more than £1 billion ($1.6 billion/€1.1 billion) worth of sales.

From this figure, more than £80 million ($129 billion/€91.5 million) will contribute to the staging of the Games.


Among the items available are a Scalextric Team GB Velodrome race set, priced at £70 ($113/€80)and which follows the traditional slot racing format, but instead of using cars, there are two miniature cyclists dressed in Team GB outfits racing each other - something that cannot happen at London 2012 because the UCI, the world governing body, have limited teams to one entry per country per event.

"The Team GB and ParalympicsGB range is not only a great way to show your support but it also helps fund the staging of the Games," said London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton.

"Our Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls have made the ultimate commitment to their sport, their team and their nation and now it's our turn."

The 2012 Team GB and ParalympicsGB teams will be the largest ever to represent Great Britain in any sporting event for over 100 years with over 900 athletes et to compete for Britain at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"It is fantastic that fans will have a range of items to choose from to get behind Team GB – a brand that stands for commitment, dedication and excellence," said the British Olympic Association (BOA) chief executive Andy Hunt, who will be Team GB Chef de Mission at London 2012.

"There will be something for everyone so that every person will have the opportunity to feel included and give British athletes the unique advantage of visible home nation support."

Team GB 2012 Ambassador and triple jump Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards added: "Having seen first-hand at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games the impact that visible home support can have on an athlete, this new range is a great way for fans to show their support for Team GB."

The new range of Team GB and ParalympicsGB products featuring Pride are available nationwide online from www.london2012.com/shop, a number of High Street retailers and the official London 2012 Shops at St Pancras International, Paddington Station, Heathrow Terminal 5, London Stansted, John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Stratford City  which opens on September 13.

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