The organisers of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics unveiled the event's mascots today, a friendly snowball called Neve and her playful ice cube partner Gliz.
The cuddly pair, which represent the two indispensable elements for the winter disciplines, were officially presented to the media and a host of Italian celebrities by the Turin Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (TOROC) inside Termini, Rome's main railway station.
Among the guests was Italian skiing legend Alberto Tomba, who dominated the slalom and giant slalom in the late 80's and early 90's.
Portuguese designer Pedro Albuquerque came up with the idea of Neve and Gliz and won an international competition set up by TOROC to find the faces of the Winter Games.
Filed by Mark O'Neill-Cummins
