Three mascots and wave-shaped medals (Feature)

By Cord Heine Jan 27, 2010, 5:08 GMT

Vancouver - Wave-shaped medals beckon for the top-three finishers at the Vancouver Olympics. For those who miss out, or who are simply spectators, a trio of games mascots is available as a souvenir.

Medals and the mascots Sumi, Miga and Quatchi have an aboriginal background guaranteeing a lasting memory of Canada for athletes and fans.

The medals' unique shape, all previous Olympic medals were flat, was inspired by ocean waves, drifting snow and the mountainous landscapes found in the Games region and across Canada.

The motifs are based on artworks of an orca whale (Olympics) and raven (Paralympics) by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver. Hunt worked together with industrial designer Omer Arbel on the First Nations artwork.

The back shows the official Games name, in English and French, the Olympic emblems, as well as the sport and event it is awarded in.

'You want the Olympic medal to be totally different, and you want to be surprised by it, and these do just that,' said Canadian team chef de mission Nathalie Lambert when the medals were unveiled.

Produced by Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa, each medal was struck nine times to get its distinctive shape.

In total, 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals are produced from 2.05kg of gold, 1,950kg of silver and 903kg of copper.

A tiny portion of the metal also came from recycled consumer electronics products such as cellphones and computers.

For those who don't medal, there are plenty of other Olympic souvenirs, and the mascot is always high up on the list since a stylized skier named Schuss started the trend at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France.

Designed by Vancouver Company Meomi Design, Sumi, Miga and Quatchi are the official mascots and they have a sidekick as well in Mukmuk.

Miga is a snowboarder deriving from a mythical sea bear, based on First Nations legend that killer whales transform into bears when they arrive on land.

Quatchi is a sasquatch. The gentle giant loves winter sport in general and the Canadian top sport of ice hockey in particular, dreaming of becoming a world-famous goalkeeper.

The animal-guardian spirit Sumi wears an orca whale hat, flies with the wings of the mighty Thunderbird and runs on the furry legs of the black bear.

Not an official mascot but popping up frequently is Mukmuk, a Vancouver Island marmot. The name comes from the Squamish word for food - muckamuck - because he loves to eat.