The design was one of thousands submitted to the Innsbruck 2012 Organising Committee which chose it alongside a snowman and an alpine ibix - a wild goat.

The top three were then published on www.innsbruck2012.com as well as on www.facebook.com/innsbruck2012 for online voting.

In an extremely tight race, the mountain goat finished on top with 1,032 votes.

The ibex, by Sabrina Tay from Singapore, finished second with 956 votes while the snowman, by Theresa Lechleitner from Elmen in Austria, finished third with 111.

An Innsbruck 2012 statement on Facebook said: "After an exciting finish in our Youth Olympic Games mascot online voting, we want to congratulate the winner - the GOAT designed by Florencia Demaria and Luis Abbiati!

"The design combines tradition with modernity and aims to transmit passion for sports, friendship, respect and excellence to young people all over the world."

The two winning designers will be rewarded with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Tay and Lechleitner will both receive a state-of-the-art Samsung Wave mobile phone as well as two tickets for the Air&Style event in Innsbruck, which includes two overnight stays at the luxurious Hilton Hotel.

The mountain goat, "with its delicate shape that perfectly reflects the sporty, athletic aspect of the Olympic Games," will now be further developed.

It will be endowed in the unique, coloured YOG 2012 pixel design so it can inspire young and old for the Games, organisers said.

After consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and possible adaptations, the final version of the mascot will be presented in February 2011 during the Youth Olympic Snow Festival.

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