After 1,600 entries and a public poll, stoat siblings Tina and Milo have been revealed as the official mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
The mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 were revealed to the world on Wednesday (7 February) at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy.
Tina and Milo – two stoat siblings distinguished by their different coloured coats – will represent the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games 2026 respectively.
Their names are the diminutives of the two host cities: Tina for Cortina and Milo for Milano, and though very similar, each mascot has a slightly different nature.
Tina, the Olympic mascot, is a creative, down-to-earth type who lives in the city and loves to experience shows and concerts. She is in awe of the power of beauty and its ability to transform. She is embodied by the phrase: “Dream big!”
Paralympic mascot Milo, meanwhile, is a dreamer. He loves to perform practical jokes and play in the snow, and in his spare time, he invents musical instruments. Nothing can hold back his resilient character. Despite being born without a paw, he has learned to walk using his tail. The sentence that represents him is: “Obstacles are trampolines”.
Two stoats accompanied by six little snowdrops
The unveiling of the two mascots marks the end of a creative collaboration process between the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee and the Italian Ministry of Education, which invited primary and secondary school students to submit ideas for the mascots.
After receiving over 1,600 entries, two were shortlisted and presented to the public in a poll to gauge people’s opinions for the design process of the official mascots of the upcoming Games.
The stoats, designed by the students of the Istituto Comprensivo of Taverna from the region of Calabria, were put forward alongside snowdrops created by students of the Istituto Comprensivo Sabin of Segrate in Lombardia.
While Tina and Milo were designed as the mascots, it was decided that they would not be alone in their quest to bring about excitement and enthusiasm for the Games.
Six little snowdrops known as ‘The Flo’, inspired by the sketch of the pupils of the Istituto Compresivo Sabin, will also accompany the siblings in highlighting the fun and adventure of Milano Cortina 2026.
Source: International Olympic Committee
