The eagle "Sam" became the mascot of the Los Angeles Games. He was chosen because the imposing bald eagle is the national symbol of the United States. Robert Moore and his associates from Walt Disney Productions selected the eagle, and "Sam’s" design was targeted to appeal to children.
"Hodori", the mascot of the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, portrays the friendly side of a tiger, which is present in many Korean legends. The mascot’s name was chosen from a list of 2,295 names submitted by the public.
The " Ho" in "Hodori" comes from the Korean word for tiger, and "Dori" is a common masculine diminutive. The Olympic rings adorn the neck of Hodori, and he wears a "Sangmo" hat from a traditional farm dance. The streamer on his hat in the shape of an S stands for Seoul.
The Spaniards did not immediately take to "Cobi", the surreal dog from the Summer Olympic Games of Barcelona, who was designed by local cartoonist Javier Mariscal.
"Cobi’s" popularity slowly grew and by the end of the Games he was loved universally by the Spanish and the rest of the world.
"Cobi" was supported by a group of mascots during the Barcelona Games. The whole mascot crew was featured as part of a popular Spanish TV show.
