Meet 2010 Olympic mascots

(CNW) The mascots for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were presented to the public this week.

 Designed by the Vancouver-based company Meomi Design, Miga, Quatchi and Sumi were inspired by aboriginal mythological creatures and influenced by popular culture, modern animation styles, the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, the culture and wildlife of British Columbia and Canada, and the artists' own imagination.

Miga is a snowboarding sea bear inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations. Quatchi, a shy and gentle giant, is a sasquatch. He's especially fond of hockey and dreams of becoming a world-famous goalie. Sumi is an animal spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty thunderbird and runs on the furry legs of the black bear. Sumi is a fan of all Paralympic sports.  

People across Canada and around the world can meet the mascots on a specially designed mascot "microsite" at vancouver2010.com. The microsite includes child-friendly features such as an animated mascot video, character profiles, an online game, a mascot-related personality quiz, interactive e-cards, colouring pages and more.