Winning mascots revealed for Tokyo 2020 Games

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The winning characters that will serve as mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were revealed on Wednesday, after a vote among around 16,000 Japanese schools.

The pair of mascots labelled "Mascots Candidates A" stood out from the competition with 109,041 votes while "Mascot Candidates B" and "Mascot Candidates C" got 61,423 and 35,291 respectively.

Three final shortlists of the mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Games. /Photo via olympic.org

The decision was made based on the opinions of 6.5 million primary school students across Japan. They were given the opportunity to review the three set of shortlisted designs from December 11 to February 22, with each class casting a single vote in favor of one of the sets.

The winning Olympic mascots are meant to embody old traditions as well as new innovations and have special powers allowing them to move anywhere instantaneously, according to the Tokyo organizing committee.

Dec. 11, 2017: Pupils at an elementary school in Fukushima, northeastern Japan, vote for the official mascots for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. /VCG Photo

For the Paralympic Mascot, the committee said it will be a cool character with supernatural powers. The mascot will also have a "dignified inner strength" and a "kind heart that loves nature".

"The involvement of schoolkid in the mascot selection process provided a great opportunity for younger generations to make their mark on the Tokyo 2020 Games," said Ryohei Miyata, chairperson of the Tokyo 2020 Mascot Selection Panel.

The panel will decide on names for the winning mascots, which will be officially unveiled in July or August 2018.

Click for more to find out how the mascots have been chosen.

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