Squirrel (mascot)
Two squirrels were the mascots of the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, the Netherlands . They were the first mascots at Paralympic Games.
history
In the late 1970s, the Dutch broadcasting company AVRO held a competition on the Sportpanorama program to find a mascot for the upcoming Paralympic Summer Games. The squirrel motif was chosen, on the one hand because it is very common in the forests around the Papendal National Sports Center, where the competitions are held, and on the other hand, the squirrel symbolizes the strength and toughness of the athletes with the cracking of nuts.
The population was asked to make suggestions for the mascots. The work by Necky Oprinsen from Sint-Michielsgestel was chosen as the winning design in 1978 . The jury included Dutch athletes and other celebrities, including Herman van Veen , Rien Poortvliet and Bert Haanstra . The mascot consists of two squirrels, one female and one male. Necky Oprinsen received a trip for two to New York for her design from Princess Margriet von Oranien-Nassau , the patroness of the games .
The mascot was used for both marketing and souvenirs.
Web links
- Arnhem 1980 Paralympic Games - Mascots on the official website of the International Paralympic Committee
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mike Rowbottom: Rio 2016 brand director Lula hails success of Games mascots launch. inside the games, November 26, 2014, accessed August 25, 2016 .
- ↑ a b Geerte Meijer: Casus Olympische Spelen voor handicapten Arnhem 1980 . Mulier Instituut, Utrecht September 2014, p. 20th f., 59 f . ( Online (PDF, 1.5 MB) ).
- ^ Summer Paralympic Games Mascots (1960-2008). paralympicanorak, August 24, 2012, accessed August 25, 2016 .
- ↑ ANP: Costs of the Paralympics begroot op 15 miljoen. In: Leidsch Dagblad , issue of November 29, 1978, p. 19 ( historical newspapers online ).