Berlino
Encyclopedia
Berlino, an anthropomorphic bear
, was the mascot for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
held in Berlin
, Germany
, noted for his hyperactivity and celebrations with various athletes during the Championships.
Up until now, Berlino appears to be mute
. However, this condition does not seem to prevent him from giving interviews to the media.
Berlino has been referred to as the "star" of the Championships and been noted by athletes, such as Usain Bolt
by wearing a t-shirt with "ICH BIN EIN BERLINO" ("I am a Berlino", referring to John F. Kennedy
's famous West Berlin speech
) written on it during warm up for the 200 meter final.
The iconic image of the games is the famous photograph of Berlino and Usain Bolt down on one knee, twinned in mutual respect, sharing a mimed lightning-bolt pose to celebrate victory and a new world record.
In an interview, published after the World Championships in Berlin, Usain Bolt said: "Berlino and I have become friends. We exchanged telephone numbers."
While celebrating winning the gold in 400 meter hurdles, Melaine Walker
took a piggy-back off Berlino, who promptly ran into a stack of hurdles. The diverse videos of this have been watched over 400,000 times (26.08.2009) and have been called "a Youtube
classic."
He was also involved in some controversy during the mens 10,000m final in which he ran part of the race down the back strait with the athletes cheering them on. This annoyed some traditionalists and it was rumoured that the IAAF told him to reel in the enthusiasm after this act.
Smaller versions of Berlino - Berlino teddies as well as Berlino key rings, both produced in China - were offered via Internet and in Berlin Tourist shops during the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
in August 2009.http://www.berlin2009-shop.com/html/berlino.html After being delivered in the beginning of August 2009, the Berlino teddies at first sold slow. Due to the increasing popularity of the mascot during the games, Berlino soon became a bestseller and - before the end of the games - was out of stock.
It has been announced recently that a new delivery of Berlino teddies - at the price of 12,50 € - and key rings will be available at Berlin Tourist shops from September 20.
Berlino later made a guest appearance at the UKA Aviva British Grand Prix, in Gateshead
, on 31 August 2009, alongside the British mascot, Spike.
Tournament officials refused to publicly disclose who played the part of Berlino. However, the Guardian Observer reported that it was 33 year old Berlin actor Oliver Seiffert.
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
, was the mascot for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, noted for his hyperactivity and celebrations with various athletes during the Championships.
Up until now, Berlino appears to be mute
Muteness
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...
. However, this condition does not seem to prevent him from giving interviews to the media.
Berlino has been referred to as the "star" of the Championships and been noted by athletes, such as Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
by wearing a t-shirt with "ICH BIN EIN BERLINO" ("I am a Berlino", referring to John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's famous West Berlin speech
Ich bin ein Berliner
"Ich bin ein Berliner" is a quotation from a June 26, 1963, speech by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in West Berlin. He was underlining the support of the United States for West Germany 22 months after the Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall as a barrier to prevent movement...
) written on it during warm up for the 200 meter final.
The iconic image of the games is the famous photograph of Berlino and Usain Bolt down on one knee, twinned in mutual respect, sharing a mimed lightning-bolt pose to celebrate victory and a new world record.
In an interview, published after the World Championships in Berlin, Usain Bolt said: "Berlino and I have become friends. We exchanged telephone numbers."
While celebrating winning the gold in 400 meter hurdles, Melaine Walker
Melaine Walker
Melaine Walker O.D is a Jamaican 400 metres hurdler. Walker is the reigning World and Olympic 400 m hurdles champion...
took a piggy-back off Berlino, who promptly ran into a stack of hurdles. The diverse videos of this have been watched over 400,000 times (26.08.2009) and have been called "a Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
classic."
He was also involved in some controversy during the mens 10,000m final in which he ran part of the race down the back strait with the athletes cheering them on. This annoyed some traditionalists and it was rumoured that the IAAF told him to reel in the enthusiasm after this act.
Smaller versions of Berlino - Berlino teddies as well as Berlino key rings, both produced in China - were offered via Internet and in Berlin Tourist shops during the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in August 2009.http://www.berlin2009-shop.com/html/berlino.html After being delivered in the beginning of August 2009, the Berlino teddies at first sold slow. Due to the increasing popularity of the mascot during the games, Berlino soon became a bestseller and - before the end of the games - was out of stock.
It has been announced recently that a new delivery of Berlino teddies - at the price of 12,50 € - and key rings will be available at Berlin Tourist shops from September 20.
Berlino later made a guest appearance at the UKA Aviva British Grand Prix, in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, on 31 August 2009, alongside the British mascot, Spike.
Tournament officials refused to publicly disclose who played the part of Berlino. However, the Guardian Observer reported that it was 33 year old Berlin actor Oliver Seiffert.
Some famous appearances
- Racing Usain BoltUsain BoltThe Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
around the track after his new 200 metres200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
world recordWorld recordA world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295935.html - Striking the lightning-bolt victory pose with Usain, both on one knee with one raised arm. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295934.html
- Presenting his undershirt with words: "Ich bin ein Bolt" after Usain BoltUsain BoltThe Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
presented his own t-shirt with "Ich bin ein Berlino" written on it. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/hermes/cme1,295997.html http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295939.html - Picking up Polish athlete Anna RogowskaAnna RogowskaAnna Rogowska is a Polish pole vaulter, current reigning World Champion.-Career:Born in Gdynia, she won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, narrowly beating Monika Pyrek, another Polish pole vaulter born in Gdynia. Early 2005 brought success as she won the silver medal in the European Indoor...
and swinging her around after she clinched gold in the women's pole vaultPole vaultPole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
. - Leaping on top of javelinJavelin throwThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
champion Steffi NeriusSteffi NeriusSteffi Nerius is a German athlete competing in the javelin throw. She won silver at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and is the reigning World Champion; she is also a three-time bronze medalist at that level.Initially playing volleyball in school, she was too short for a career in this sport and...
of Germany. - Being picked up by men's discusDiscus throwThe discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
champion Robert HartingRobert HartingRobert Harting is a German discus thrower.He won a silver medal at the 2001 World Youth Championships. He was less successful at subsequent championships and finished in eighth in the qualifiers 2002 World Junior Championships...
, who threw Berlino over his shoulders after winning gold. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295933.html - Racewalking under the Brandenburg GateBrandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
with the 50 km medalists. - Running down the home straight alongside competing athletes in the mens 10,000 metres.
- Ripping his vest off HartingRobert HartingRobert Harting is a German discus thrower.He won a silver medal at the 2001 World Youth Championships. He was less successful at subsequent championships and finished in eighth in the qualifiers 2002 World Junior Championships...
style, celebrating with the German hammer throwHammer throwThe modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
er Betty HeidlerBetty HeidlerBetty Heidler is a German hammer thrower, a world record holder. She is living in Frankfurt now and member of the Eintracht Frankfurt athletes team...
after winning the silver medal.http://media5.weser-kurier.de/media/57/12510400248370/jpeg-2lz94000-20090822-img_22177032.original.large-4-3-800-68-0-2448-1784.jpg - Giving 400m hurdles champion Melaine WalkerMelaine WalkerMelaine Walker O.D is a Jamaican 400 metres hurdler. Walker is the reigning World and Olympic 400 m hurdles champion...
of JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
a piggy back ride, and while doing so crashing into a stack of hurdles. - Handkissing German heptathlete Jennifer OeserJennifer OeserJennifer Oeser is a German heptathlete.Her first international championships was the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics and she finished in eighth place with a score of 5405 points. She improved her personal best to 5901 points to win the gold medal at the 2003 European Athletics U23...
after she had won the silver medal. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295927.html - Being picked up by Polish hammer throw world champion Anita Włodarczyk.
- Carrying And eventually dropping Melanie Walker After her 400 metre hurdle Victory At The 2009 World Championship
External links
- Official site
- Picture gallery of Berlino from German Newspaper "Tagesspiegel"
- Video with diverse appearances of Berlino in Olympiastadion on "youtube"
- Video with antics of Berlino on "youtube"
- Video of Berlino´s run with Melaine Walker on "youtube"
- Video of Berlino running the 100 metres on "youtube"
- Video of Berlino´s visit in the BBC studio in Olympiastadion