The three mascots were unveiled as part of a community celebration on May 15, 2000 as Native American Billy Daydodge narrated a story from Utah legend. Petroglyphs of animal images inspired the interpretation of the modern-day mascots with their corresponding stories reflecting the Olympic motto of Citius, Altius, Fortius, meaning Swifter, Higher, Stronger.

• Snowshoe Hare (Swifter): At one time, the sun was burning up the earth. The hare ran swiftly to the top of the mountain. Shooting her arrow at the sun, she dropped it lower in the sky and cooled the land.

• Coyote (Higher): When the world turned dark and frozen, the coyote climbed the highest mountaintop and stole the flame from the fire people. He brought warmth back to the earth.

• American Black Bear (Stronger): Long ago brave hunters left their villages to track the mighty bear. But the bear was too strong and outlasted the hunters. Today, sons of the hunters continue the chase in the night sky.

"We are thrilled to present these three mascots for the 2002 Games as representatives of the land and culture of Utah and the American West," said Mitt Romney, SLOC President and CEO. "Their stories are a wonderful translation of a Native American legend into the symbolism of the Olympic movement. The theme of swifter, higher, stronger crosses the boundaries of time."

SLOC enlisted the assistance of five Native American and petroglyph experts to review the authenticity of the mascot concept: Duncan Metcalfe (Utah Museum of Natural History), Dr. Laurel Casjens (Utah Museum of Natural History), Dr. Daniel Edwards (University of Utah), Margaret K. Brady (University of Utah), and Forrest S. Cuch (Utah State Division of Indian Affairs).

"These animals appear as major characters in the myth and stories handed down to modern Native Americans, the descendants of the ancient artists who produced rock art," said Casjens, Curator of Collections at the Utah Museum of Natural History. "I am delighted that the committee has seen fit to honor the cultures who first inhabited Utah and the surrounding areas by using their symbols to represent the modern Olympics."

"The narratives you have chosen are representative and authentic, and your plans for incorporating American Indian cultural contributions should be commended," said Brady, Associate Professor of English and American Indian Studies at the University of Utah.

Each mascot wears a charm around its neck that has been fashioned after the original Anasazi or Fremont-style petroglyph to remind the hare, coyote and bear of its heritage.

The SLOC mascot project began in September of 1997 with creative concepts. Initial sketches were tested in focus groups in Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Milwaukee. The selected concept was preferred by 80 percent as the most appealing and appropriate to represent the Olympic Winter Games and the 2002 Games in all age groups. The International Olympic Committee approved the mascot program in December of 1998.

The design of the mascot was created by Landor/Publicis, a partnership working under the direction of SLOC that combines Landor Associates' global branding and Olympic expertise with Publicis' knowledge and experience with the Salt Lake community and Intermountain Region. The mascot illustrator was London-based independent contractor Steve Small, who has created character animation for Disney's "Hercules" and Nickelodeon's "Rugrats." The mascot plush creators were Lonna Brown and Becky McFarland of Fruit Heights, Utah, who crafted the large animals from smaller prototypes.

Official Olympic mascots date back to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich with the Waldi the dachshund, a popular Bavarian dog, as the first mascot. Olympic mascots have come in all shapes and sizes. In the United States, previous mascots have included Roni the raccoon in Lake Placid in 1980, Sam the eagle in Los Angeles in 1984 and Izzy the animated character in Atlanta in 1996.

Mascots were based on historical figures and named after royal children for the first time during the 1994 Lillehammer Games with Hakon and Kristen. Nagano featured four 'snowlets' based on the motif of an owl. Sydney has three animals as mascots with a platypus named Syd, Millie the echidna and a kookaburra named Olly.

2002 Mascot Names: Powder, Copper, and Coal

Powder (Hare), Copper (Coyote) and Coal (Bear) are the names of the mascots for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002. After taking suggestions from 42,000 Utah school children last May, the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002 (SLOC) initiated a national naming contest for the three mascots. The "Three Names for the Games" campaign commenced on July 1, 2000 with votes cast via mail, telephone and the Internet. SLOC is the first organizing committee to involve public participation in identifying Olympic mascots.

"SLOC's mascots give children a link to the Games. They are cute, lovable characters. The selection of names enhances the personalities of the Mascots," said Mitt Romney, SLOC President and CEO. "These names also represent Utah, 'Powder' reflects on 'the greatest snow on earth,' and 'Copper' and 'Coal' are representative of the land."

The 2002 mascot names were announced on September 25 at Brigham Young University's (BYU) Cougar Stadium during the half-time presentation of the BYU vs. Virginia football game. SLOC used another collegiate athletic event, a University of Utah football game, to launch the Games logo.

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