OLYMPICS. The Hare, Polar Bear and Leopard have been chosen as the official Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games mascots following a public vote during the live television show "Talismaniya Sochi 2014 - The Final". The Ray of Light and the Snowflake will be the Paralympic Winter Games mascots in 2014.

Commenting on the results of the live vote, Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, said: "The Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have now adopted its own symbols and, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Movement, the whole country was involved in choosing the mascots.

"There are three mascots for the Olympic Winter Games, representing the three places on the Olympic podium. All top-three characters according to the Olympic system will become the Olympic Winter Games mascots. The mascots are the choice of the whole of our country and will remain in the history of the Olympic Movement".

The Russian people voted by sending a text message to the number "2014" or calling a free phone line, with a specific phone number for each mascot candidate. The election council decided that the top-three characters with most votes would all become the Olympic Winter Games mascots: the Polar Bear, the Hare and the Leopard.

Contributed by Sochi 2014
February 27, 2011