20th May 2010

Tourism Chief’s Delight at New Olympic Mascot

Chief Executive of Shropshire Tourism Simon McCloy has expressed his delight that the new official 2012 Olympic mascot has been named ‘Wenlock’, firmly putting Much Wenlock and Shropshire’s Olympic connection on the map.

William Penny Brookes, the inspiration behind the modern Olympic Games was born in Much Wenlock 201 years ago. He created the Wenlock Olympian Games (still held to this day) which inspired Baron de Coubertin to create the modern international Olympics.

Mr McCloy said “Like many other organisations, Shropshire Tourism has worked hard over the past 15 years to promote Much Wenlock as birthplace of the modern Olympic Games and we are delighted that this has been recognised and Much Wenlock has been given such prominence.”

Wenlock is the Olympic mascot and Mandeville is the Paralympic mascot, named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire. They were created from the last two drops of British steel used for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium. The new animated film called ‘Out of a Rainbow’ shows Wenlock shining a torch on an open book that reads ‘Dr William Penny Brookes, Much Wenlock, An Inspiration for the Modern Olympic Games.’ The film can be seen at www.shropshiretourism.co.uk/much-wenlock/