Waldi was the first official Olympic mascot, introduced for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He was a colorful dachshund, a dog breed especially associated with Bavaria and southern Germany.
The mascot was designed by Elena Mucchi and Otl Aicher, the Games' influential design director. Waldi appeared in several bright colors and was intended to represent qualities such as resistance, tenacity and agility.
Olympic mascots are separate from the Olympic rings, flame and official emblem. They are created to give each edition a friendly, marketable character that can appear on souvenirs, posters and educational material.
Later Summer Olympic mascots included Misha, a bear for Moscow 1980; Sam, an eagle for Los Angeles 1984; and Cobi, a dog for Barcelona 1992. Waldi therefore began a tradition that continues at both Summer and Winter Games.