why are they giving out stuffed animals at the olympics

They’re giving out stuffed animals at the Olympics because they’re meant to be symbolic gifts and mascot souvenirs that go with the medals, not replace them.

Quick Scoop: What’s With the Olympic Stuffed Animals?

At recent Games, medalists are handed plush mascots during or right after their events, and then receive their actual medals in a separate, later ceremony. The toys are usually the official mascots of that year’s Games (like tigers, stoats, or other cartoon-style animals) and are designed as cute, collectible symbols of the Olympic spirit.

Why Stuffed Animals Instead of Just Medals?

1. They’re stand‑ins for the medals

• Many Winter Games use a two‑step ceremony:
  1. Right after the event: athletes get a stuffed mascot on the podium.
  2. Later “victory ceremony”: they receive the actual medals with full formalities.

• This makes logistics easier for tightly scheduled events and keeps the big medal moment for a dedicated, televised ceremony.

2. They replace flowers and make better souvenirs

• In older Games, athletes often received flowers on the podium; organizers later switched to mascots because they last longer and tie directly to the host city’s branding.

• A plush mascot is a durable keepsake, easier to travel with, and doubles as official merch for the Games.

3. They showcase the host city’s mascot and story

• Each Olympics has its own mascots, and the stuffed toys are one of the main ways those characters are “brought to life” for both athletes and fans.

• For the current Winter Games, for example, each medalist is getting plush versions of the stoat mascots and their tiny sidekicks, “The Flo,” as the official gift tied to the Games’ narrative.

Is It Just a Marketing Thing?

There is a marketing and collectible angle, but that’s not the whole story.

• Mascot plushies are highly collectible, with limited runs tied to each Games; some older ones even sell for significant amounts among memorabilia collectors.

• At the same time, for athletes, the toy works as a physical reminder of their podium moment that they can actually hold and display, while the medal itself often stays locked up or framed.

So: the stuffed animal is part branding, part tradition, part practical podium prop—and very much an extra on top of the medal, not a consolation prize.

What People Online Are Saying

This has become a minor trending topic because clips circulate where someone loses or looks devastated and then gets handed a plush, which some viewers see as awkward or even a bit infantilizing. On forums and social media, you’ll see two main reactions:

• “This is sweet and wholesome; I’d totally want the mascot too.”
• “You just finished the competition of your life and you get… a teddy bear?”

But historically, the stuffed animals have been a normal part of Olympic and Winter Olympic ceremonies for years, especially in sports like figure skating, so it’s less a new gimmick and more a tradition people are suddenly noticing.

Bottom line: They’re giving out stuffed animals at the Olympics as official mascot gifts and medal stand‑ins, tied to ceremony logistics, branding, and tradition—not as a replacement for actual medals.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.