Fatso the fat-arsed wombat, a rebel Olympic mascot who has waddled his way to icon statusamong Australian television viewers, is closing in on swimming sensation Ian Thorpe.
In a charity auction of Olympic gear, a single corporate donor has offered A$100,000 (US$54,000) for a full-body swimsuit signed by Thorpe, whose breathtaking speed in the water has earned him three gold medals and the nickname ‘Thorpedo’.
The bid is the highest so far in an auction which has raised A$10 million to date for disadvantaged children in Australia and refugee children overseas, according to organiser Olympicaid.
However a stuffed likeness of Fatso, the anti-mascot created by Australian satirists Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson, is a close second.
A soft toy version of the tubby wombat, the only one in existence according to auction website www.olympicaid.com, was already fetching A$71,400 (US$38,750) on Saturday in the run-up to the midnight (1300 GMT) close of bidding.
‘That has been confirmed as a genuine bid,’ Carl Solomon, executive director of charity organisation Olympicaid, told Reuters.
Solomon declined to give details about the high Fatso bidder’s identity but the price is up from an initial offer of A$1000 just three days ago.
Fatso is a cartoon wombat created by Slaven and Nelson, known as Roy and H.G., and features nightly on their irreverent Games talk show ‘The Dream’.
The late-night programme has proved a television ratings success for Seven Network, which has exclusive Olympics broadcast rights in Australia, and has turned the tubby wombat into an icon.
The chubby marsupial waddles across the television screen during more regrettable moments of the day’s events and deposits his trademark three tiny droppings.
Other items attracting high prices include A$4050 for a swimsuit signed by gold medal winner Michael Klim.
Klim, who won gold as part of the men’s 4×200 metre freestyle relay, catapulted Fatso to instant celebrity some 10 days ago when he carried the stuffed wombat onto the victory dais.
Olympicaid’s Solomon said bidding on many items will end after the Olympics close on Sunday. New memorabilia will continue to be offered for auction until Tuesday and bidding on each item remains open for about a week.
Bidding on one item closed early Saturday evening: US gold medallist Misty Hyman’s signed swimming cap sold for US$2550.
(A$0.54 = US$1)
Victoria Tait
Source: SOCOG