Who Is The Best Olympic Mascot Ever? (BRACKET)

The tradition of the Olympic mascots dates back to 1972's Waldi the Dachshund, the canine face of the Munich Games. Since then, there have been a multitude of sometimes cute and fuzzy, sometimes adorable, and sometimes strange mascots that draw from the host city's local culture, traditions or wildlife.

In light of the unveiling of London 2012's own mascots, the unique looking Wenlock and Mandeville, we've compiled this list of the more noteworthy Olympic mascots over the years. Some are notable because of their cultural representation of their host city, others are just plain weird - and we love them for it.

Here are our top eight favorites. Who will take home the coveted title of best Olympic mascot to date? That's up to you. Tell us who you voted for, and who we forgot, in the comments below.

Round 1 voting runs through noon, Friday, Aug. 10.
Round 2 voting runs through noon, Saturday, Aug. 11.
The final round voting will run through noon, Sunday, Aug. 12.