A North Carolina expert talks about what makes stoats, the mascots for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, so special.

Tourists are reportedly desperate for the mascot merch.

Team Poland’s pierogi-shaped mascot has become an unexpected fan favourite at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, according to media reports.

It’s a relative of the weasel. Is it any stranger than Izzy, Gliz the ice cube or that hat from earlier Games?

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The pair of animals chosen as mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are stoats — weasel-like creatures that are at risk because of climate change. One of them is brown and the other is white,

Tina and Milo, the mascots for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, are anthropomorphic stoats. Native to the Italian Alps, the habitat of these small mammals is increasingly

At the 2026 Winter Olympics, it is not just athletes turning heads inside the arena. Team Poland has arrived with an unexpected companion that keeps popping up on camera. Fans are starting to notice,

For fans of the Milan Cortina Olympic mascots, the eponymous Milo and Tina, it’s been nearly impossible to find a plush toy of the stoat siblings in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kick off on Friday, with the opening ceremonies set to start in northern Italy at 2:00 p.m. ET. This is the first time in Olympic history that

Winter Olympics mascot Tina, falls over in the snowy conditions affecting the day's events. WATCH MORE: Winter Olympics Video Available to UK users only. Mascot Tina takes a tumble Video, 00:00:16Mascot Tina takes a tumble Up Next.