The British Olympic Association is today introducing Pride the lion as the official Team GB mascot for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
As the mascot for Team GB, Pride will be the British Olympic team’s number one supporter. He will be taking part in all sorts of activities in the run up to the Games while supporting British athletes on their journey to London 2012 and beyond.
London will be Pride’s second Olympic Games after he leapt into life shortly before Beijing in 2008 where he roared Team GB on to fourth place in the medal table, winning an incredible 47 medals, including 19 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze.
Since Beijing, Pride has undergone a design transformation and has a brand new look for the home Games in London next summer. He’s as excitable and playful as ever, and with a home Olympics to look forward to, he’s especially patriotic, confident and inspired.
Pride’s passionate about Team GB and Olympic sport, bringing people together, learning new skills and making new friends. He dislikes cheats and admits to being a little afraid of mice! His favourite quote is ‘Better Never Stops’ and he is inspired by the passion of the British public for Team GB.
The official mascot is delighted with his role as a member of Team GB, Pride said: “I’m really excited to be supporting our incredible Olympic athletes. In London 2012 Team GB will field Our Greatest Team. It’s going to be our best team ever and the great thing is that we can all be a part of it. “I’m looking forward to making lots of new friends in 2012, and renewing rivalries with my fellow Olympic mascots from other nations around the world in a spirit of fair play, friendship and respect – especially the boxing kangaroo from Australia.
“With the support of you and me - who knows what our team can achieve. So come on, join me in supporting Team GB - Our Greatest Team and roar with Pride!" Pride was given his name in July 2008 by nine-year-old Lilly Sykes from Lincolnshire, who won a competition to name the official Team GB mascot on a children’s TV channel which received over 3,500 entries. Explaining her idea for naming Pride she said: “A family of lions is called a pride and it reflects how proud we should be of our country and all our Team GB athletes as they compete with determination and courage at the Olympic Games.” Andy Hunt Team GB Chef de Mission and BOA CEO said: “We are delighted to welcome Pride to Team GB as our official mascot for the London 2012 Olympic Games. I’m sure he will be a big hit with Team GB fans, using social media channels to connect with young people by bringing a sense of fun and adventure to the 26 Olympic sports. “As well as his athletic aesthetics, Pride’s personality will reflect the lion-hearted attitude of Team GB’s athletes next summer: brave, bold, courageous, resolute, determined and passionate in their quest to bring Olympic success to inspire the whole of the UK. We’ll do it with Pride!” Pride is available as part of a range of Team GB products launched by London 2012 last week, the revenues of which go towards funding the staging of the London 2012 Games. Click here to view the Pride products and London 2012 shop. Pride is planning to join social networks such as Twitter and Facebook in the near future to support Team GB at London 2012 and keep everyone updated with his adventures. In the meantime, let @TeamGB know your thoughts about Pride on Twitter by using the hashtag #RoarWithPride and we’ll make sure he gets your messages.