Meet the Winter Olympic mascots, Tina and Milo, who are stoat siblings

If you've never heard of a stoat, you're not alone.

But if you're watching the 2026 Winter Olympics from Milan-Cortina in Italy, you'll be seeing a lot of them, because they're the mascots.

Their names: Tina and Milo, a pair of word plays off the locations of Cortina and Milan.

Tina is the lighter-colored creature pictured above, and Milo is her younger brother with the darker fur.

They have "contemporary, vibrant and dynamic Italian spirit," according to the event organizers.

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What are the Olympic mascots?

The 2026 Winter Olympic mascots are stoats.

The Olympics came up with a backstory for the creatures: Tina was born in the Italian mountains and likes art and music. Milo was born without one paw but has turned his difference into strength.

What is a stoat?

A stoat is a small creature part of the weasel family.

They're most closely related to otters and ferrets.

Their coats can change color in the winter to camouflage against the snow. They look lighter, like Tina, in the winter, while they get darker, like Milo, in the summer.

Here's a video of a real life stoat:

Stoat in snow ️ 🐾❄pic.twitter.com/Hv77YAVtWI

Yep, definitely an adorable, high-quality mascot choice.

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