TOKYO —
The official Olympic mascot is Miraitowa, a cheerful animated character checkered in blue and white that was designed to appeal to young children in Japan.
The unofficial mascots might as well be Tommy Trojan and Joe and Josephine Bruin.
USC and UCLA have combined for 103 Olympic competitors with ties to the respective schools, collectively surpassing all but 32 nations’ delegations. Both schools can claim hurdler Rai Benjamin, who spent two years as a Bruin before becoming a Trojan when he transferred to the school across town.
USC’s army of 63 Olympians tops all but 44 nations and is the most of any school in the United States, leading a Pac-12 Conference contingent of 317 competitors that is the most of any college conference.