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The London 2012 Olympic mascot will be a VIP visitor at the annual Wenlock Olympian Games in Much Wenlock on Sunday 11th July.

‘Wenlock’, the official London 2012 Olympic Games mascot, will be coming along to the main athletics day of the Olympian Games, where he will meet spectators and participants and join in a 200 yard fun run for children under 7.

The Games organisers, Wenlock Olympian Society, are particularly excited to have Wenlock join them, as the Olympic mascot is named after the beautiful Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, the home of Dr William Penny Brookes.  Brookes founded the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850, and was the inspiration for the international Olympic event that we see today.  The Paralympic mascot, is named Mandeville in recognition of Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a surgeon at Stoke Mandeville which is the home of the Paralympic Games. 

Roy Rogers, Wenlock Olympian Society President commented, “We are delighted to have Wenlock at this year’s Wenlock Olympian Games.  It is an honour to host one of the London 2012 mascots named after the town.  I am sure that William Penny Brookes would be immensely proud of this acknowledgement and to see how his vision of an international Olympic Games event has come to fruition.”

The names of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots were revealed by Olympic gold medallist and WOS Vice President, Jonathan Edwards, , at a special event in Much Wenlock on 19th May.  The story of the mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville, is told in a short film that can be watched on the London 2012 website at www.london2012.com/mascots.

The Wenlock Olympian Games will open the batting with a Kwik Cricket competition on Friday 9th July on the Gaskell Grounds – the home of the early Olympian Games.  The 200 yard-under sevens fun run with Wenlock is on the Sunday will take place on the newly laid athletics track.  The final Games’ event is the Golf competition at Shrewsbury Golf Club on Monday 12th July.

For more information about the Wenlock Olympian Games please visit www.wenlock-olympian-society.org.uk.  Download a programme for the Games.

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