King Felipe VI of Spain on Barcelona 1992 legacy: "The whole of Spain felt an enormous sense of pride."

King Felipe VI of Spain called the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 “a great collective success” at an event organised by the Spanish Olympic Committee Friday (26 April).

"Today, I wanted to insist that we owe this success to so many who worked hard, some many years before, to make it so,” he said, “so that it would be a unique sporting event, a great social celebration and leave a magnificent legacy.”

At the Barcelona Games, the King was a flag bearer for his nation, and he recalled “the honour of leading the Spanish delegation” during the Opening Ceremony.

The King also took the opportunity to look ahead to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, now less than 100 days away.

"Paris will host the great Olympic and Paralympic world family for those unique weeks of competition, of harmony and friendship, of so many human values... that it is so necessary to preserve, care for and promote,” he said.

Those values clearly of import to the King, who also remarked on Barcelona’s ability to make both a global and local impact.

“When Barcelona invited the world to be ‘friends forever,’ the whole of Spain felt an enormous sense of pride.”