LONDON: The 38 Olympic pictograms — the visual representations of each sport — designed for the 2012 London Games were unveiled on Friday by the local organizing committee.

The pictograms will be used on merchandise, signs and tickets, helping spectators find their way to their sport of choice when the Olympics begin in 2012.

“The pictograms will be a vital wayfinder for spectators at Games-time and will become recognizable come 2012,” London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said.

The two versions of pictograms for 2012 — one a silhouette and the other a more colorful rendition inspired by the London underground map — were made in consultation with each sports federation.

The Olympic pictograms were first used at the 1948 Games in London. They have become a regular feature since the Tokyo Games in 1964. “The pictograms of an Olympic Games are a unique link between the host city and the sports involved,” IOC coordination commission chairman Denis Oswald said. “The pictograms are a strong and dynamic representation of the 2012 sports and are instantly recognizable as part of London’s look.” Limited-edition T-shirts with the various pictograms will go on sale in London next week to mark the 1,000-day countdown to the games.