Berlino

Up until now, Berlino appears to be mute. However, this condition does not seem to prevent him from giving interviews to the media.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkrPdceULZQ |title= - YouTube|website=www.youtube.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210051059/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkrPdceULZQ |archive-date=December 10, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/videos/berlin/article1155362/Maskottchen_Berlino_im_Exklusiv_Interview.html|title=Maskottchen Berlino im Exklusiv-Interview|first=Berliner Morgenpost -|last=Berlin|date=21 August 2009|access-date=8 August 2018}}

Berlino has been referred to as the "star" of the 2009 Championships{{Cite web |url=http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/08/21/berlino-the-track-mascot-becomes-biggest-bear-star-since-yogi.aspx |access-date=2009-08-24 }}{{dead link|date=July 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/sport/article1154684/Maskottchen_Berlino_ist_der_wahre_Star_dieser_WM.html|title=Maskottchen Berlino ist der wahre Star dieser WM|first=Steffen|last=Lüdeke|date=20 August 2009|access-date=8 August 2018}} 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){{Cite web |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/517/484949/text/ |title=Athlet des Tages (6) - Ich bin ein Berlino - Sport - Süddeutsche.de |access-date=2009-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826093651/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/517/484949/text/ |archive-date=2009-08-26 |url-status=dead }} written on it during warm up for the 200 meter final.{{cite news | url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25963358-5013406,00.html | work=The Australian | title=Mascot hunting ... let the games begin | date=2009-08-22 | access-date=2009-08-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827010255/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25963358-5013406,00.html | archive-date=2009-08-27 | url-status=dead }}

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.{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article6808200.ece | archive-url=https://archive.today/20110917003305/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article6808200.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 17, 2011 | work=The Times | location=London | title=Berlino the Bear was the real star of these championships | date=2009-08-25 | access-date=2010-04-26 | first1=Giles | last1=Smith}}

In an interview, published after the World Championships in Berlin, Usain Bolt said: "Berlino and I have become friends. We exchanged telephone numbers."{{cite web|url=http://www.focus.de/sport/mehrsport/leichtathletik-wm-2009/leichtathletik-wm-bolt-berlino-und-ich-sind-freunde-geworden_aid_428833.html|title=Bolt: "Berlino und ich sind Freunde geworden"|first=FOCUS|last=Online|work=FOCUS Online |access-date=8 August 2018}}

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."{{cite news| url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics-the-lessons--from-berlin-1867651.html | work=Irish Independent | first=Cliona | last=Foley | title=Athletics: The lessons from Berlin | date=2009-08-24}}

He was also involved in some controversy during the men's 10,000m final in which he ran part of the race down the back straight 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{{cite web|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/berlin/article1158038/Pluesch_Baer_Berlino_kommt_zurueck_in_die_Laeden.html|title=Plüsch-Bär Berlino kommt zurück in die Läden|first=Berliner Morgenpost -|last=Berlin|date=26 August 2009|access-date=8 August 2018}} - were offered via Internet and in Berlin Tourist shops during the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in August 2009.[https://web.archive.org/web/20091030154349/http://www.berlin2009-shop.com/html/berlino.html] After being delivered in the beginning of August 2009,{{cite web|url=http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2009/0807/berlin/0060/index.html|title=BerlinOnline - Abschied|website=www.berlinonline.de|access-date=8 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809022122/http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2009/0807/berlin/0060/index.html|archive-date=9 August 2009|url-status=dead}} the Berlino teddies at first sold slow.{{cite web|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/sport/article1156345/Berlino_Vom_Ladenhueter_zum_Liebling_der_Massen.html|title=Berlino – Vom Ladenhüter zum Liebling der Massen|first=Steffen|last=Lüdeke|date=23 August 2009|access-date=8 August 2018}} 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.

Berlino later made a guest appearance at the UKA Aviva British Grand Prix, in Gateshead, on 31 August 2009, alongside the British mascot, Spike.{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article6816330.ece | work=The Times | location=London | title=Jessica Ennis ends season with Berlin hangover | date=2009-09-01 | access-date=2010-04-26 | first=Rick | last=Broadbent}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}http://topics.treehugger.com/photo/01zs60o2FmeUQ {{dead link|date=December 2012}}

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.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/nov/15/mascot-berlino-bear | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Mascot of the year: Berlino the Bear | first=Tom | last=Lamont | date=2009-11-15 | access-date=2010-04-26}}

In 2018 Berlino reappeared as the official mascot at the Berlin Olympic Stadium for the 24th European Athletics Championships being hosted in the city.{{cite news| url=https://www.ebu.ch/news/2018/04/european-championships--berlino-unveiled-as-berlin-2018-mascot| title=European Championships 2018 Berlino unveiled as 2018 mascot | date=2018-04-30 | access-date=2018-08-08}}

• Racing Usain Bolt around the track after his new 200 metres world record.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/6065699/World-Athletics-Berlino-the-Bear-drops-Olympic-champion-Melanie-Walker.html#Telegraph|title=World Athletics: Berlino the Bear drops Olympic champion Melanie Walker|first=Emily|last=Benammar|date=21 August 2009|access-date=8 August 2018|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}} [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295935.html Lockeres Jogging mit Usain Bolt. - Fotostrecken - Mediacenter - Tagesspiegel]
• 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 19 Clubs auf einem Ticket - Zeitung Heute - Tagesspiegel]
• Presenting his undershirt with words: "Ich bin ein Bolt" after Usain Bolt presented his own T-shirt with "Ich bin ein Berlino" written on it. [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/hermes/cme1,295997.html Bolt ist ein Berlino - und Berlino ist ein Bolt. Champion und Maskottchen haben sich angefreundet. - Tagesspiegel] [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295939.html Der Weltrekordler Bolt zollte dem Maskottchen fast schon kennedyesk Respekt. - Fotostrecken - Mediacenter - Tagesspiegel]
• Picking up Polish athlete Anna Rogowska and swinging her around after she clinched gold in the women's pole vault.
• Leaping on top of javelin champion Steffi Nerius of Germany.
• Being picked up by men's discus champion Robert Harting, who threw Berlino over his shoulders after winning gold. [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme21399,295933.html ...und wirbelte es durch die Luft. - Fotostrecken - Mediacenter - Tagesspiegel]
• Racewalking under the Brandenburg Gate with the 50 km medalists.
• Running down the home straight alongside competing athletes in the men's 10,000 metres.
• Ripping his vest off Harting style, celebrating with the German hammer thrower Betty Heidler after winning the silver medal.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110719113659/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 Walker of Jamaica a piggy back ride, and while doing so crashing into a stack of hurdles.
• Handkissing German heptathlete Jennifer Oeser 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.

• Flag of Berlin
• Coat of arms of Berlin
• Berolina, personification of Berlin

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.berlin2009.org/276-1-mascot.html Official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809234046/http://www.berlin2009.org/276-1-mascot.html |date=2009-08-09 }}
• [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/fotos/cme1,295924.html Picture gallery of Berlino from German Newspaper "Tagesspiegel"]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6uLC-N8bX8 Video with diverse appearances of Berlino in Olympiastadion on "YouTube"]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG66G4Jj0eE Video with antics of Berlino on "YouTube"]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vj9rQsj4ow Video of Berlino´s run with Melaine Walker on "YouTube"]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLVveYEl1tQ Video of Berlino running the 100 metres on "YouTube"]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkrPdceULZQ Video of Berlino´s visit in the BBC studio in Olympiastadion]

{{Teddy bears}}

Category:2009 World Championships in Athletics

Category:Sports mascots

Category:Bear mascots

Category:Fictional bears

Category:Anthropomorphic bears

Category:Mascots introduced in 2009

Category:German mascots