2026 Winter Olympic Games Mascots are ‘Gen Z’ Members Milo and Tina
By: Ellie Esquenazi
For many decades, the Olympics have designed a mascot to represent each of the Games. From 1968’s Chac Mool the Mexican jaguar to 2022’s Bing Dwen Dwen, Beijing’s giant panda, each character has been created to embody the Olympic spirit and the country hosting the Games.
Taking center stage for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games are mascots Milo and Tina, a pair of weasels. These stoat siblings are the first ever ‘Gen Z’ mascots in Olympic history and are named after the hosting cities, Milano (Milan) and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Tina is the Italian-born Olympic Mascot, a teenage lover of art, music, and nature. Her cream-colored fur and brown-tipped tail make her recognizable against the contrast of her brother Milo’s brown coat and white stomach.
Milo represents the Paralympic Games with only one paw. Published on the official Olympics site is: “Thanks to [Milo’s] creativity and strong will, he learned to use his tail and turn his difference into a strength.”
As the central symbol of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, this pair embodies the “contemporary, vibrant and dynamic” spirit of Italy.
Why weasels? As part of the design process, Italy’s Ministry of Education allowed students to submit mascot ideas; they received more than 1,600 entries. A poll then helped to choose between a pair of flowers (edelweiss and snowdrop) created by Lombardy students, and the pair of stoats, invented by Calabria students.
Milo and Tina were officially unveiled in Feb. 2024, two years prior to the official start of the Olympic Games in Milan. Organizers decided that the contest runner-up deserved recognition too, and made six little snowdrops–named The Flo–Milo and Tina’s friends.
