After tens of thousands of entries, they were chosen over Fiori, a stylised representation of an edelweiss and a snowdrop which are iconic plants in the Games' mountainous region.

The stoats, also known as an ermine, which lives in the Italian Alps, polled 53 per cent of the public ballot.

It still has to be officially announced by Milan Cortina 2026 whether they will abide by the public vote as the mascot. 

The stoat is a small predator; it is very agile and exceptionally fast, characteristics that permit it to hunt on the snow, between rocks, on trees and even in the water.

Due to its valuable fur, it was relentlessly hunted in the past, 

Ermine fur was used in the 15th century by Catholic monarchs, who sometimes used it as the mozzetta cape. 

It has also long been used on the ceremonial robes of members of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom.

But the animal has had a devastating effect on native bird populations in many countries and was nominated as one of the world's top 100 "worst invaders".

They were designed by students of the Istituto Comprensivo di Taverna in Catanzaro and sees one with a white coat and the other with a brown coat and white patch on its body.

A story was created for the stoats who "will have to overcome obstacles by trying out all the sports disciplines represented at the Winter Games, to reach the slopes and ice rinks in 2026, as an active supporter of the athletes".

The decision brings the selection process to a close which saw around 1,600 submissions made from 681 classes and 82 schools from across 81 Italian provinces.

Young students were encouraged to use their imagination and express their creative talents by submitting design proposals for two characters they felt would best represent the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A committee of experts then helped decide on the shortlisted pairs, before the public gave their preference via the online poll.

The Olympics in Italy are scheduled to run from February 6 to 22 before the Paralympics take place from March 6 to 15.