BEIJING, (AP) -- The Beijing Olympics' most renowned champions are given Bing Dwen Dwen as a gift. This is the cute panda mascot.
Where are the medals located? They are usually presented later in a special ceremony, which was introduced at the Calgary Games 1988.
The Beijing Olympics winners receive a plush panda stuffed in a plastic shell representing ice. In Chinese, Bing actually means "ice". A golden wreath is added to the toy.
Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris claimed that he was thrilled to have won his third Olympic bronze medal.
"I have always believed that a panda is my spirit animal since childhood." He said that he loves pandas.
Four years ago, a similar ritual took place at the Pyeongchang Olympics. The Pyeongchang Games saw a similar ritual: medalists received Soohorang, a white, striped tiger who served as the Games' mascot.
At the Youth Olympics, the tradition of giving a mascot as a prize to the winners goes back more than a decade.
