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MascotVinicius, the official mascot for Rio 2016, was named after one of Brazil’s most prominent 20th century cultural icons, Vinicius de Moraes, and constitutes a blend of animals native to Brazil, while also symbolising the energy exuded by the Brazilian people.When creating the mascot, the designers drew inspiration from pop culture as well as video game and cartoon characters. The Rio 2016 Organising Committee held a public poll to choose the mascot’s name, with 320,000 fans casting their votes. Olympic TorchThe innovative design of the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch, which is inspired by the warmth of the Brazilian people, features moveable segments that expand vertically to reveal the colours of Brazil when the Olympic flame is passed from one torchbearer to another. The triangular shape of the torch, meanwhile, alludes to the three Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect, while the floating effect of its different segments represents the efforts of the athletes.Each torch – crafted from recycled aluminium and resin with a satin finish – weighs between 1kg and 1.5kg and stands 63.5cm high when contracted and 69cm when expanded. These were carried by approximately 12,00 torchbearers during the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Nissan, and Bradesco – which visited around 300 cities and towns across Brazil ahead of the Olympic Games. MEDIA GUIDE: IOC MARKETING / 57