Copper
Of the Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius," or "Swifter, Higher, Stronger," Copper the coyote represents "Higher." According to Utah legend, the coyote saved the world from freezer burn. When, for whatever reason, warmth left the earth, the coyote, climbing the highest mountain, stole the fire from the fire-people and returned warmth to the earth. Coyotes are present throughout the Southwest deserts of the United States, and like the showshoe hare and the black bear, the coyote plays a major role in Native American myths and legends.
Powder
The rabbit is the "Swifter" third of the three-part motto and legend. When the sun began to scorch the planet, the snowshoe hare rushed to the top of the hill and shot it down, thus cooling the earth. The hare's habitat runs the length of the Rocky Mountains, from Alaska to as far south as Utah.
Coal
The American black bear is the "Stronger" of the three mascots. By outlasting ancient hunters, the bear earned a place in the sky where the sons of those hunters continue the hunt. American black bears are found nearly everywhere between the Arctic and northwestern Mexico. Their population is estimated between 400,000 and 750,000.
Source: Salt Lake Organizing Committee
