When the Chinese-made mascots were unveiled to the public, they were criticized for their off-putting, alien looks. (BTW, two-thirds of the 194 products available on the London 2012 website are made in China).
“Like a nightmare, this evil eyed monster stares straight into your soul looking for the slightest weakness,” one reviewer wrote on Amazon.com.
Wenlock comes from the village of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, where a multi-sport event was one of the inspirations for the founder of the Olympic movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
Mandeville’s name is inspired by Stoke Mandeville, a pioneering hospital set up to help former soldiers suffering from spinal injuries. It devised a sports event for the patients which was a forerunner of the Paralympics.
Oh, and the story behind that big one eye? It’s just a camera that records everything. No need to be paranoid.
