We all love Milco. We could even say that our beloved character has stolen thousands of hearts with his charisma and energy. And what energy! The Games had not started yet and Milco was already going to different parts of the country promoting, as always, the spirit of sports. The first fans of Lima 2019 cheered for Milco before they did for thousands of athletes. Not to mention his presence at the ceremonies or the warm welcome he gave to athletes and visitors from other countries.

But even though we have all seen him and love him... Do you know how he got here? Maybe not the whole story, so here we share five things you may not know about him.

1. A HARD-FOUGHT COMPETITION

Milco was submitted to a contest along with over 1000 other proposals. The three finalists were Amantis, a characters inspired in the famous Amancaes flower that grows in the hills of Lima and blooms only during the months the Games took place; Wayqi, a sweet and agile lizard that you can only see in Lima’s archeological sites; and, finally, our well-known Milco, designed by Andrea Medrano and who won with just over 2000 votes. Milco received 19,895 votes, to be exact, which gave him the honor of being the host of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games.

 

2. A MASCOT WITH HISTORY

Milco has an ancient history. He dates back to the Chancay culture (1200 ~ 1470 AC), which originated in the central coast of Peru and had as its capital the current Province of Huaral. Cuchimilcos originated from this culture and, although their meaning is not known exactly, nobody can ignore their typical posture with their arms wide open, as if they are willing to embrace everyone who crosses their path.

3. THEY WERE NOT ALWAYS VALUED

During the 40s and 50s, cuchimilcos were undervalued statuettes. You could even find them cast aside sometimes, because “huaqueros” believed they had little value. During that time, Japanese businessman Yoshitaro Amano dedicated himself to gathering them, either by buying them or by collecting them himself.

4. HIS PREDECESSOR WAS A PORCUPINE

Milco took over for Pachi. This porcupine has 41 multicolored quills, one for each country of the Olympic movement that participated in the Pan American and Parapan American Games held in Toronto, Canada, in 2015.

(Credits: Getty Images)

5. THE ELEVENTH MASCOT

The tradition of creating mascots for the Parapan American Games began in 1979, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The first character was Coqui, a native toad of this island. Ten mascots later, Milco appeared. It is most likely the mascot with the longest history: his origins date back over 1500 years.

What did you like the most about Milco?