An expert jury, consisting of prominent cultural, educational, sports, business and political figures, is chaired by Konstantin Ernst, the chief executive of Channel One Russia, have selected the shortlist from 24,000 designs submitted during the competition.

The jury shortlisted the top 10 Olympic and top three Paralympic mascot ideas from which the winners will be chosen in February 2011.

The jury has decided that both animals - such as bears, leopards, dolphins, bullfinches, rabbits, and abstract characters - such as snowballs, snowflakes, traditional Russian nested dolls Matreshkas - can continue the race.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President and chief executive of Sochi 2014, said: "Six months ago we made the unprecedented decision to create our mascot together with the Russian people.

"An entire country has taken part in a contest of ideas to create Olympic and Paralympic mascots.

"The mascots for the Sochi 2014 Games should reflect the characteristics of Russian culture and be familiar to millions of people of different ages, occupations and nationalities, both in Russia and around the world.

"It is essential that the mascots appeal to children, since for many of them the Sochi 2014 mascots will be their first contact with sport. We encourage everyone to take part in the final nationwide SMS voting, which will be held in February during a live television broadcast."


The deliberations of the jury of experts has consisted of several phases.

In the first stage, the jury members got acquainted with the gallery of designs and provided their ratings for the ideas which, they believe, could represent the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games to a worldwide audience.

The lists resulting from this stage were then discussed during the general meeting of the jury of experts.

Ernst said: "The role of leading the jury of experts is a challenge.

"From the thousands of ideas which were submitted from every part of Russia, our task was to choose the most promising and suitable.

"After the announcement of the short list of design ideas, a team of artists and animators will work over the course of a month and a half to create animated images that will take part in the live television show."



Vitaly Smirnov, the Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee and member of the International Olympic Committee, revealed that memories of Misha the Bear, the mascot for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, were at the forefront of the jury's minds.

He said: "For Russia, Sochi 2014 will be, of course, the first Olympic Winter Games, but do not forget that the country has already hosted the 1980 Olympic Games.

"During the preparations for those Games, there was also much work devoted to selecting the Games mascot.

"The whole world remembers Misha the Bear - mascot from the 1980 Olympic Games, and for Russia this mascot is a symbol of an era.

"The 2014 mascots will become heroes of their time in the same way, and I hope our work will make a contribution."

The full list of mascots shortlisted for the Olympics is: Rabbit, dolphin, polar bear, brown bear, bullfinch, leopard, snowball/snowflake/ice floe piece, sun, little men and Father Frost.

Mascots shortlisted for the Paralympics are: nested doll/tumbler toy, dolphin and bullfinch.

The result is due to be announced during a live national television show on February 7, 2011 - exactly three years before the start of the Games.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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