Greetings Gfreidi!! — European Championships Munich 2022 announce Mascot
News
The first eager top-class performers have already found their way to Olympiapark ahead of the European Championships Munich 2022. The organisers are delighted to announce the official mascot ‘Gfreidi’, a genuine Munich squirrel with a traditional Bavarian hat and shorts. With multifaceted characteristics, this unique Bavarian ideally embodies the wide-ranging multi-sport event.
Almost four months before the European Championships Munich 2022 run from August 11 to 21, the first winner has already been decided with Stephanie P. inspiring the expert jury with her squirrel drawing in a popular mascot competition. Last spring, kids aged from 3-13 gave free rein to their creativity, making and drawing what they considered the ideal mascot in a special competition.
Following more than 600 imaginative entries, after three elimination rounds, the decision proved unanimous in favour of the squirrel complete with traditional hat and shorts, making the eight-year-old from Nuremberg the happy winner.
From a sketch into Olympiapark: Gfreidi’s first day
The warm rays of sunshine roused the red native squirrel from hibernation on Tuesday. Lively and sporty, it took the time to explore its Olympiapark home and showed artistically why it represents nine sports and is the ideal face of the European Championships Munich 2022. Time flies at its Olympiapark playground - the traditional hat is still missing. With the right partner by its side, the trip to the city centre becomes a leisurely excursion, during which the mascot even meets its designer, Stephanie. In full regalia, it arrives at a press conference in the Olympiahalle for its presentation: Allow me, Gfreidi!
Name and message in one
‘Gfrei Di!’ (pronounced “fry-dee”) is Bavarian dialect and means nothing other than ‘Be Happy!’ - and you have every reason to be. Together we will celebrate the biggest multi-sport event since the 1972 Olympic Games. Look forward to a unique event experience in Olympiapark and the whole of Munich! Look forward to emotions and stories that can only be found in sport! Look forward to Bavarian friendliness and the colourful festival ‘The Roofs!’ Look forward to Gfreidi, who awaits everyone with open arms and a smile!
Gfreidi joins Malaika Mihambo (long jump), Marcel Nguyen (gymnastics), Thomas Röhler (javelin) and Dimitrij Ovtcharov (table tennis) in the illustrious ranks of the Munich 2022 ambassadors. The mascot will greet athletes and visitors with a smile, bringing everyone closer to its hometown and a piece of Bavarian cultural life. Even a tiny detail on its hat shows how tradition and a sense of belonging to one’s homeland can relate to this multi-sport European Championships.
More information about Gfreidi's dashing outfit can be found here: https://www.munich2022.com/en/gfreidi
“The mascot competition proved a total success. The jury chose the squirrel with a ‘Bavarian touch’ because it is a popular animal common all over Europe. In addition, it is lively, fast, cunning and can climb, so it fits in wonderfully with our colourful sports programme. Little Stephanie did a great job drawing it,”
said a delighted Marion Schöne, organiser and managing director of Olympiapark München, about the official mascot and added: “It is a brilliant name too. Gfreidi symbolises our Bavarian authenticity and exactly conveys the anticipation we want to stimulate in the run-up.”
For further information about the multi-sport European Championships 2022, featuring Beach Volleyball as well, visit the official website www.munich2022.com.
