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Lyo is short for “Lion of the Youth Olympics”. He is a lion cub bursting with energy, who adores sport. His mission: teaching young people to keep fit by encouraging them to practise sport.

Merly’s name comes from the French word “mer” (“sea”), plus the suffix “ly”, which corresponds to “liveliness”. Merly is a merlion, a mythical Singaporean creature with a lion’s head and a fish’s body. Her mission: making young people aware of sustainable development and encouraging them to get involved in their community.

Lyo and Merly were unique for another reason, too: they were the first Youth Olympic Games mascots, as the first edition of these Games was held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010. This event, which was created following an IOC Session decision in July 2007, aims to mobilise young athletes around five themes: Olympism and the Olympic values, skills development, well-being and healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and expression through digital media.

The next YOG will be the first winter edition of these Games, taking place in Innsbruck (Austria) from 13 to 22 January 2012.