Spanish NOC News
17 December 2024 - Find here the latest news from the National Olympic Committee: events, courses, general assemblies and elections, trophies and much more.
17 December 2024 - On 11 December, the COE ended an Olympic year full of sporting success by holding its 19th gala, which honoured the Paris 2024 medallists and their coaches. The ceremony was held in the Goyeneche Auditorium at the COE headquarters in Madrid, in the presence of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez; the Minister of Education, Professional Training and Sport, Pilar Alegría; the Secretary of State for Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes; the IOC President; and numerous athletes and sports federation presidents. The list of athletes honoured can be found here.
02 December 2024 - The COE and the San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM) recently presented the new UCAM-COE Alma Mater Higher Education Centre. Located in Torrejón de Ardoz, this campus will specialise in health, nutrition and sport. The announcement was made by COE President Alejandro Blanco and UCAM President María Dolores Garcia at a ceremony held at the COE headquarters in Madrid. Two Olympic medallists were also present: two-time medallist María Pérez (racewalking) and five-time medallist David Cal (canoe), who have worked in the UCAM sports department for nine years. More details here.
15 November 2024 - To help those affected by the flash flooding caused by the DANA weather phenomenon, the COE, in cooperation with non-profit organisation Acompartir, has sent essential supplies such as masks, water and boots to Valencia. The COE will continue working to provide assistance to the victims of the floods. COE President Alejandro Blanco said: “Sport has taught us the importance of solidarity and team work, and now is the time to join forces to support those affected.” More details here.
30 October 2024 - The COE and the Spanish Ministry of Defence have joined forces to facilitate the inclusion of high-level athletes in the armed forces through their selection processes. The announcement was made during an event held at the COE headquarters, in the presence of Defence Minister Margarita Robles, COE President Alejandro Blanco and Olympic medallist and army corporal Carlos Arévalo. More details here.
The COE also presented the Sustainability Movement (MOES), a new community that brings together sport and sustainability, and the ambassadors for this project. This initiative features on a single platform all the actions and tools the COE has developed in the area of environmental and social sustainability in sport. This initiative is partially financed by Olympic Solidarity. Full details here.
27 September 2024 - The COE paid tribute to the more than 250 journalists and photographers from 50 Spanish media outlets who were on site in Paris to cover the sporting exploits and achievements of the Spanish athletes at the Olympic Games. At a special ceremony, the CEO presented a commemorative diploma to all accredited members of the press and a commemorative badge to each media outlet, in recognition of their dedication and professionalism. More info here. In addition, members of the Spanish delegation who competed in Paris were received at the Senate, in recognition of their performances and commitment and for setting a positive example in Spanish society. Details here.
05 July 2024 - Sailor Támara Echegoyen and canoeist Marcus Cooper will be the flagbearers for the Spanish team at the Opening Ceremony of the Games in Paris. Echegoyen was an Olympic champion at London 2012, and finished fourth at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. For his part, Cooper won gold at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020. The two athletes were chosen by the presidents of the national Olympic sports federations at a meeting held on 26 June at the NOC headquarters. More details here.
25 June 2024 - On 20 June, the NOC and its global sustainability partner, Banco Santander, presented 28,000 unveiled Spanish flags as part of the project named “Tu esfuerzo desfila en los Juegos” (“Your efforts paraded at the Games”). David Cal, a five-time Olympic medallist in canoe sprint, received the bulk of the flags made from recycled sports gear and which will accompany the Spanish delegation in Paris. NOC President Alejandro Blanco and Banco Santander Head of Media, Online Marketing and Events Felipe Martín were also in attendance on this occasion. More details here.
17 June 2024 - With a month and a half to go until the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the COE and its partner, Joma, have unveiled the official clothing collection that Spanish athletes will wear at the Games. As a brand increasingly committed to environmental sustainability, Joma has used eco-friendly fabrics such as recycled polyester and organic cotton, and techniques like dyeing without chemical compounds for the entire collection. The Paris 2024 Games will be the NOC’s third collaboration with Joma, following Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. More information here.
As part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Olympic programming in the lead-up to Paris 2024, a new series is coming to Eurosport. Titled ‘Rumbo a París’ (‘En route to Paris’) and produced in collaboration with the NOC, this original series will air weekly from 10 June to 26 July, showcasing the journey of a group of Spanish athletes as they work towards Olympic qualification. More information here.
Additionally, the Asociacion Deportes Olímpicos (Association of Olympic Sports – ADO) organised an event entitled ‘ADO, creating stories together’ at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. This event brought together athletes and representatives from the sponsor companies of the Spanish Olympic team for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. More details here.
03 june 2024 - The COE’s awards ceremony was held recently at the COE headquarters in Madrid. These distinctions are intended to recognise people and entities that have distinguished themselves in the field of Olympism, either through their sports results or their notable services to the Olympic Movement and sport. Here is a list of the clubs, federations, coaches and athletes honoured this year. On the same day, the COE held its annual general assembly, chaired by its President, Alejandro Blanco. Full details here.
27 May 2024 - As part of the licensing agreement between the IOC and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), a special collection of Looney Tunes products has been created and recently unveiled for the Spanish team. The COE and WBDGCP have agreed to allow COE partner Joma to use the licence to create a special line of clothing on the Olympic theme. The collection was unveiled in the Parque Warner Madrid featuring a parade by various athletes. Full details here. Badminton player Carolina Marín will receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2024. Ms Marín, recently named “Queen of Europe” is an Olympic champion (Rio 2016), three-time world champion and seven-time European champion. Full details here, and here on the Spanish Badminton Federation’s website.
13 May 2024 - Spanish athletes who took part in the Albertville 1992 Olympic Winter Games and the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. The ceremony was held at the Goyeneche Auditorium at the NOC headquarters in Madrid, in the presence of the King and Queen of Spain. COE President Alejandro Blanco presented a participation diploma to King Felipe VI, who was the flagbearer for the Spanish team and competed in the sailing events in Barcelona. More details here. The NOC headquarters also hosted the ceremony to present the official song of the Paris 2024 Spanish Olympic team. Entitled “La Gravedad”, the song was written by the finalists of the latest edition of musical talent show “Operación Triunfo”. Full details here.
30 Avril 2024 - For the fourth consecutive year, the COE headquarters hosted a Symposium on Sudden Death, attended by prominent figures in medicine, sport and journalism. The programme featured three round tables and addressed the issue of sudden death from various angles: amateur sport, elite sport and young people’s sport. Before concluding the event, COE President Alejandro Blanco and former Spanish national football manager Vicente del Bosque awarded commemorative prizes to various personalities in different fields. More details here.
25 March 2024 - The COE has announced that the Spanish sports news TV series El Pebetero recently featured a number of sports leaders and future Olympic athletes. The first 12 episodes were shown exclusively on the COE’s television platform, but their popularity led to the decision to include them also on YouTube, to give greater visibility to Spanish sport and particularly the athletes ahead of the Games in Paris. Full details here.
19 March 2024 - Raising awareness of the importance of women in the world of sport was the main theme of the second Women and Sport Conference organised by the COE on 13 March. In addition to COE President Alejandro Blanco, the Conference was attended by pioneering women in sport and past and present Olympic athletes, who talked about their experiences and the various challenges they have faced during their sporting and professional careers, but also the progress made towards achieving gender equality in sport. More details here.
11 March 2024 - The COE and Sanitas recently renewed their cooperation on sustainable development, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and protecting the environment. The two organisations will thus expand the Healthy Cities programme run by Sanitas, which each year invites the population to take up a twofold challenge: walk 6,000 steps a day and leave their car at home one day a week. For each person who takes part, Sanitas undertakes to plant a tree. During last year’s eighth edition, the company planted more than 24,000 trees in various Spanish cities, and 2,500 in Senegal. More details here. The COE and the Spanish Paralympic Committee will also be working with the Madrid Book Fair, between 31 May and 16 June, to highlight the links between sport and literature. An Olympic and Paralympic Day will be held on 13 June. More details here.
27 February 2024 - The COE recently presented the technical report from the Sport Sustainability Summit, which it organised in October in cooperation with the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and its sustainable development partner, Santander, and with the support of the National Sports Council. The report provides a comprehensive overview of sustainability in today’s sports sector in the short, medium and long term. It compiles the results of the sport and sustainable development questionnaire answered by professionals who attended the summit in October, the outcomes of the presentations and round-table discussions, and case studies, academic publications and sector-based reports. It was also announced during the event that the carbon footprint generated by the Sport Sustainability Summit had been offset by a reforestation project in a former mining zone in Bembibre, in the province of León. More info here. The Real Betis Balompié Foundation has signed the COE Sustainability Manifesto, making Real Betis the first football club to follow the lead of the Spanish Football Federation and join the COE initiative, as 42 national federations have done to date. The Foundation is now part of the COE’s #SomosDeporte Sostenible Group, which can be joined by any Spanish sports organisation looking to help implement the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals and accelerate the change needed for sustainable development. Details here.
15 January 2024 - The 16th edition of the COE’s “All Olympic” ("Todos Olímpicos") campaign has just begun. The aim of this educational project is to promote the values of sport and Olympism in schools all over the country. Athletes play an active part by talking to schoolchildren about their personal and sporting experiences. This year, around 15 athletes will be taking part. Full details here. COE President Alejandro Blanco presented the NOC’s Olympic Plaque to the Principality of Asturias in recognition of its historical engagement for sport generally and Olympism in particular. Adrián Barbón, the President of the Principality, received the distinction at a ceremony held at the COE headquarters. Details here.
15 January 2024 - At the 18th edition of its gala, the COE recognised the best athletes of the pre-Olympic year. The event was broadcast live for the first time on Spain’s second TV channel (RTVE) and on COE.TV, and held in the presence of the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría, as well as many athletes, federation presidents and representatives of the sports world. In total, 19 prizes were awarded in 10 categories – see the list here.
27 November 2023 - The COE headquarters was recently the venue for the second International Olympic Journalism Congress, attended by a large number of communication professionals. Opened by COE President Alejandro Blanco, the Congress was organised by the COE, in collaboration with the National Sports Council. With coverage of the Games in Paris as the main theme, this year’s congress looked at the role of social media, META innovations, and the written press, radio and television. There was also a presentation on communications strategy and the IOC’s Olympic Information Service. Full details here. In addition, as part of the COE’s sustainable development strategy, after working together for more than six months, the COE and the ACCIONA company have developed a water footprint calculator. This is used to measure both consumption and impact, in order to identify action to be taken for more efficient water use management. Full details here.
20 November 2023 - On 15 November, the Spanish Olympic Forest in Camponaraya was inaugurated. This forest is among five bearing the names of Spanish Olympic Forest, sponsored by Banco Santander, a worldwide partner in sustainable development strategy of the NOC. This project, which aims to leave a sustainable legacy, marks an important step in the fight against climate change and the promotion of biodiversity. The forest will absorb around 185.5 tonnes de CO2 over the next 30 years, which will be used in part to compensate for the carbon footprint generated by the Spanish delegation going to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Full details here.
Participants at the second Motherhood and Sport Day held at the COE headquarters.
06 november 2023 - The COE Motherhood and Sport Commission, chaired by Olympic medallist Ona Carbonell, met recently to issue new proposals to help combine motherhood and elite sport. The Commission also continued its work on creating an advisory network to provide athletes with useful information for early motherhood, with specialist doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, midwives and professionals in this sector. At the end of the meeting, which marked the Commission’s first year of work, the second Motherhood and Sport Day was held at the COE headquarters, the objective of which was to raise awareness of, reflect on and inform people about all aspects and stages of motherhood and sport. More details here.
30 october 2023 - Lydia Valentín, Gervasio Deferr, Fermín Cacho, Tania Lamarca, Alberto Fernández, Teresa Portela, Joan Lino and Marta Mangué have become the first athletes selected as ambassadors for the social project being run by the COE and the Spanish Government. The project involves the construction of 25 sports facilities in refugee centres across Spain. The official presentation of the ambassadors was attended by the COE President, Alejandro Blanco, the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, José Luis Escriva, and the Minister for Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta. The project is a result of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2022 between the COE, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and the Olympic Refuge Foundation with a view to promoting refugee integration through sport. Full details here.
16 October 2023 - On 9 October the COE hosted a sustainability strategy meeting in preparation for the 2030 Football World Cup, which was attended by representatives of the COE and the 2030 World Cup bid committee. The 2030 event is due to take place in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Last year, the COE and the Spanish football federation signed the COE’s Sustainability Manifesto, marking the start of a close collaboration on environmental and human sustainability in sport. More details here. In collaboration with the Supreme Sports Council, the COE hosted the 2nd Athletes in the Media course for active and former athletes. The aim of the course was to highlight potential employment opportunities through testimonials from journalists and former athletes now working as sports commentators. More info here.
27 September 2023 - The COE and NGO PGR have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at promoting sport, sustainability and inclusion. The agreement was signed by COE President Alejandro Blanco and PGR Chair Patricia García, who competed in rugby sevens at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. This agreement makes PGR one of the NGOs to which entities and sports bodies seeking to obtain the COE’s Sustainable Sports Event Plus label can contribute donations or social activations. The COE will also serve as a link between PGR and athletes wanting to work with it. More details here.
29 July 2023 - On 26 July, the COE held a ceremony to mark the start of the countdown to Paris 2024. On this occasion, COE President Alejandro Blanco, Olympic swimming champion Mireia Belmonte and the Director of Sponsorship, Events and Social Media for Banco Santander, Felipe Martín, jointly activated the countdown clock installed at the COE headquarters. Belmonte is currently preparing to qualify for the Games in Paris. After wishing the Spanish athletes the best of luck for Paris, the COE President highlighted the support provided by Banco Santander for sports development, among other things through the COE Sustainable Sports Event label and reforestation projects. For his part, Felipe Martin announced that five sites will be opened in September, including the Spanish Olympic Forest, as part of the reforestation and carbon emission compensation programme by the Tokyo 2020 medallists. More details here.
24 July 2023 - The NOC, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have signed an MoU to facilitate refugees’ access to sport. NOC President Alejandro Blanco, FEMP Secretary General Carlos Daniel Casares and UNHCR representative in Spain Sophie Muller signed this MoU, the aim of which is to encourage the integration through sport of people who are under UNHCR’s mandate. This MoU aims to promote among local governments and authorities free access for refugees to programmes, activities and sports facilities. Full details here.
10 July 2023 - The COE and the Ministry of Education and Professional Development have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at promoting the Olympic values, focusing on the prevention of violence, managing coexistence and promoting an active and healthy lifestyle in primary and secondary education. The agreement was signed at the ministry by COE President Alejandro Blanco and Minister Pilar Alegría. The agreement will see both parties setting up programmes and activities around three main axes: producing teaching material, training teachers and planning sports promotion activities in schools. More details here. In addition, on the proposal of the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, the Council of Ministers has agreed to grant a subsidy to the NOC to help promote sport in public centres that host migrants and people seeking international protection. Full details here.
27 June 2023 - The NOC, the Supreme Sports Council (CSD), and the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE) have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing the ADO (Association of Olympic Sports) programme in 2023 and 2024, in support of Spanish Olympic athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The agreement, was signed at the CSD headquarters in Madrid by CSD President and Secretary of State for Sports, Víctor Francos Díaz, NOC President Alejandro Blanco, and RTVE interim chair Elena Sánchez Caballero. Its aim is to infuse new life into the ADO programme by focusing on digitisation, social responsibility, professionalisation and new technologies. More details here.
16 June 2023 - NOC President Alejandro Blanco was awarded the gold and diamond medal and insignia of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation at a ceremony organised recently by the Federation in Madrid. He was presented with the distinction by Federation President Francisco V. Blázquez, in recognition of his remarkable work for Spanish handball. Those attending the ceremony included the National Sports Council President, José Manuel Franco. More details here.
06 June 2023 - On 31 May, the NOC presented its awards to leading figures in Spanish sport. The aim of these awards is to honour people and entities active in the field of Olympism that have distinguished themselves through their sports results or exceptional services to the Olympic Movement and sport. Here is the list of the clubs, federations, sports organisations, federation leaders, coaches and athletes honoured at the ceremony held at the NOC’s headquarters in Madrid. Earlier in the day, the NOC also held its Annual General Assembly, chaired by NOC President Alejandro Blanco. Full details here.
24 May 2023 - The Spanish NOC and the Qatari NOC have renewed their memorandum of understanding, which has been in force since 2011. The MoU was signed by the two NOC presidents, Alejandro Blanco and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at a ceremony in Doha, which recently hosted the World Judo Championships. Under the terms of the MoU, the two NOCs have, among other things, committed to furthering cooperation in areas such as sharing best practices related to high-level athlete training programmes, exchanging information around the staging of international events, developing refugee athlete programmes and organising training camps in the two countries. Full details here.
01 May 2023 - The Spanish NOC and San Antonio de Murcia Catholic University (UCAM) have renewed their partnership ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Numerous Olympic, Paralympic and high-level athletes were in attendance for the signing of the agreement by UCAM President María Dolores García and NOC President Alejandro Blanco. With this agreement, the two institutions will continue their work in support of Spanish sport and especially the athletes, who can combine their sporting careers with higher education. More details here. The first conference on carbon and climate change – organised by the Spanish NOC and the Cadiz local government, in cooperation with the National Sports Council – was held on 26 April in Cadiz. The participants were Olympic athletes, representatives from the NOC and Cadiz local government, leaders of Olympic and non-Olympic federations, and prominent academic figures. Discussions mainly focused on the importance of raising awareness within the sports sector, public administration entities, the private sector and society at large about the need to take action against climate change, and the opportunities that blue carbon can offer. Detailed info here.
03 April 2023 - Representatives of the Spanish NOC and the Spanish Association of Sport (ADESP) recently held a meeting. They took the opportunity to emphasis the unity of the NOC and the national sports federations. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to continue working together as a team, to conduct an analysis of the current situation of Spanish sport, and to work on proposals for the future. More details here.
16 March 2023 - On 8 March, the COE’s Motherhood and Sport Commission, chaired by Olympic medallist Ona Carbonell, held its constitutive meeting for the 2023-2025 period. At the meeting, the working basis for the Commission was agreed and possible areas of action discussed. The various topics addressed included the preparation of female athletes during and after pregnancy, and the importance of their being able to stay close to their children during the breastfeeding period. One of the Commission’s main objectives is to create an information centre on motherhood and sport, with professionals available to advise and guide athletes during their maternity. More details here.
30 January 2023 - The Spanish NOC has become the first partner of the Olympic World Library (OWL), the online library managed by the IOC Olympic Studies Centre that serves as a library catalogue, an information portal and a search engine entirely devoted to Olympic knowledge. With more than 36,000 titles and 11,500 digital documents, the OWL is the number one resource for Olympic knowledge, and gives access to all publications by the IOC, the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games as well as a large collection academic books and articles on all Olympic themes. The NOC President, Alejandro Blanco, and the President of the Spanish Olympic Academy, Raúl Chapado, were behind the agreement, which sees the Academy become the first organisation in the world to join the OWL. More details here.
23 January 2023 - The Spanish NOC, the channel RTVE and the Spanish Government are set to relaunch the Association of Olympic Sports (ADO) programme ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The announcement was made at the headquarters of the National Sports Council, at a meeting attended by the companies involved in this Olympic athlete support programme. Jennifer Pareja, a silver medallist in water polo at the Olympic Games London 2012 and winner of the Best Female Water Polo Player of the Year award in 2013, will take on overall management responsibilities for the ADO programme. She has served as an adviser to the National Sports Council President’s Office for the past four-and-a-half years. Full details here.
23 November 2022 - On 17 November, the headquarters of the Spanish NOC in Madrid hosted the first International Olympic Journalism Congress, which was attended by media representatives, photographers, press agencies, communications directors from Spanish sports federations, athletes and journalism students. The Congress was organised by the NOC in collaboration with the National Sports Council, and among other topics looked at coverage of the Olympic Games with IOC experts and representatives in a series of presentations and round tables. Full details here.
14 November 2022 - On 8 November, the Spanish NOC, in collaboration with the National Sports Council, organised a conference on “Motherhood and Sport”. The participants discussed how to combine motherhood and sport, and the need to create specific measures so that female athletes do not have to give up their careers when they have children. Olympic medallist Ona Carbonell was the ambassador for this first edition, and talked about her own experience, accompanied by some of the people who helped her achieve her dream of competing at the Games after having a child. Full details here.
7 November 2022 - Olympic champion Alberto Fernández and his coach, Diego Gutiérrez, recently presented their book entitled “Olympic Spirit”, at a ceremony held at the Spanish NOC headquarters. In the book, the authors explain how to develop a winning mentality, achieve optimum performance and be happy in both sport and life generally. Also present at the ceremony was NOC President Alejandro Blanco, who wrote a preface for the book, various athletes and the authors’ close family members and friends. More details here.
10 October 2022 - The Spanish NOC and the Gasol Foundation have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to promote healthy living through the Olympic Movement in Spain. The mission of the Foundation – set up by the Gasol brothers, IOC Member Pau and Marc – is to prevent childhood obesity. Cristina Ribes, Executive Director of the Gasol Foundation Europe, and NOC President Alejandro Blanco signed the three-year agreement during the European Week of Sport (photo). It will help sports entities or events that want to obtain the NOC’s sustainable PLUS label to work with the Gasol Foundation through collaborative action. The PLUS label recognises commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability in sport. More info here.
04 October 2022 - The Spanish NOC’s Green Flame project was recently presented at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. Begun four months ago, the project will end in April 2024 with the launch of an application that will allow the CO2 emissions generated by the sports world to be understood, measured and reduced. This initiative is part of the NOC’s efforts to help Spanish sport meet sustainability standards. Full details here. In addition, the NOC and the Ibereólica Renovables group have extended their partnership agreement to the end of 2024. The company will thus continue to be the NOC’s exclusive sustainability strategy partner in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy development. More details here.
20 September 2022 - On 13 September, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco was at the headquarters of the National Sports Council (CSD) to sign up for European Week of Sport 2022, a European Commission initiative. Organised simultaneously throughout the European Union from 23 to 30 September, the aim of this Week is to promote physical exercise and healthy lifestyles, to combat inactivity. The activities in Spain will be coordinated by CSD Chair José Manuel Franco. Olympic athletes and European Week of Sport ambassadors Youba Sissokho (boxing) and Laura García-Caro (athletics) were also present. More details here.
21 july 2022 - Ruth Beitia (photo) received the London 2012 high jump bronze medal at a medal reallocation ceremony held on 11 July at the Spanish NOC headquarters in Madrid. She was presented with her medal by NOC President Alejandro Blanco. This comes on top of the gold medal she won at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, making Beitia Spain’s most successful track and field Olympian. As well as her family members and friends, the President of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation, Raúl Chapado, and her coach, Ramón Torralbo, also attended the ceremony. Full details here.
06 July 2022 - This year saw the 14th edition of the Spanish NOC’s “Todos Olímpicos” (“All Olympic”) initiative. The aim of this educational project is to promote the values of sport and Olympism in the country’s schools. The project has grown over the years since 2008, and in total almost 300,000 children have taken part, with 118 athletes talking to them about their sporting and personal experiences. More details here.
16 May 2022 - The Spanish NOC has paid a moving tribute to the Spanish athletes who competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary and Seoul. Awarding commemorative diplomas to the athletes present, NOC President Alejandro Blanco was accompanied by NOC Secretary General Victoria Cabezas, First Vice-President Isabel Fernández, and the presidents of various national federations represented at these Games. The Spanish delegation in Calgary comprised 12 athletes, while a few months later in Seoul, there were 217 athletes on the team. Full details here.
02 May 2022 - The Spanish NOC, the Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organisations (CEOE) and the CEOE Foundation have signed an agreement to create an alliance between businesses and sport, with the aim of making common progress for both athletes and businesses. More details here.
04 April 2022 - The Spanish NOC and the Spanish Federation of Video Games and Esports (FEJUVES) held an information session to identify common courses of action that could provide a solid basis to strengthen stability and growth in the sector. A number of players were in attendance at the session, where they were able to share experiences, ideas and suggestions. The hybrid meeting was also attended by NOC President Alejandro Blanco and FEJUVES President Marco Antonio Ramos. More details here.
25 March 2022 - As a member of the Spanish government’s Zero Poverty for Children National Alliance, the Spanish NOC has included Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 in its sustainable development strategy, which is focused on eradicating poverty and hunger in society. The NOC has appointed former tennis player Carla Suárez as its online ambassador for the NOC’s social action. More details here. In addition, the NOC and the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation recently informed the national sports federation leaders about the seventh edition of the Valencian Community’s sports competition support programme. This programme is intended to encourage the organisation of official sports competitions in the Valencian Community by providing the organisers with financial assistance. More details here.
18 March 2022 - Values education, equality, perseverance, visibility and success were the terms most often mentioned at the Spanish NOC’s first Women and Sport Conference held on 16 March. Alongside NOC President Alejandro Blanco, the Conference was attended by female sports management pioneers and several female Olympic champions, who talked about their experiences and various challenges they had faced during their sports and professional careers. More details here.
14 January 2022 - Vaccination of the Spanish team going to the Winter Games in Beijing began on 12 January at the Spanish NOC headquarters in Madrid, under the supervision of NOC President Alejandro Blanco (photo). This vaccination has been made possible by the joint efforts of the NOC and the Health Council of the Community of Madrid, as was previously the case for the team that took part in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. More details here.
20 December 2021 - The Spanish NOC and the Ministry for Integration, Social Security and Migrations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote sport within the international reception system. The MoU was signed by the Minister, José Luis Escrivá, and the NOC President, Alejandro Blanco. In this way, the NOC is enhancing its support for refugees and its commitment to integration through sport, which it already demonstrated in June this year with the opening of the Alejandro Blanco Sports Centre in Getafe, the world’s first sports centre for refugees. Full details here. On 15 December, the 16th Spanish NOC gala paid tribute to the country’s medallists at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The ceremony was held in the Goyeneche Auditorium at the NOC headquarters in Madrid, in the presence of the King and Queen of Spain. You can find the list of athletes here.
29 November 2021 - The second Spanish NOC congress on sustainable development took place on 18 November at the NOC’s headquarters. This second edition, which was opened by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, addressed a number of topics related to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The topics discussed as part of round tables were: “Sustainable development in the Olympic Movement”, “Spanish NOC solutions to tackle climate change” and “Sustainability programmes with the Spanish NOC’s partners”, which covered energy efficiency, gender equality, sustainable mobility and education. More info here.
22 November 2021 - Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco has been awarded the Ourensanía Award 2021 in recognition of “a whole vital and professional career dedicated to the world of sport, with special mention of his outstanding role at the helm of the Olympic entity and its condition of firm defender of the Olympic Movement”. He was presented with the award by the President of the Regional Government of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, and the president of the Provincial Council of Ourense, Manuel Baltar, at a ceremony held at the Main Theatre in Ourense, where Blanco was born. More details here.
08 October 2021 - The Spanish NOC and the UCAM Catholic University of Mercia paid tribute to the athletes belonging to the alliance created by the two entities who competed at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. In the Japanese capital, the UCAM was the university with the most Games participants, with a total of 74 athletes (61 Olympians and 13 Paralympians). The event was held in the presence of NOC President Alejandro Blanco and UCAM President José Luis Mendoza. More details here.
01 October 2021 - The Spanish NOC’s Permanent Commission and Executive Committee met on 28 September for the first time since the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The meeting was chaired by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, and was attended by 24 participants. The agenda included a report on the NOC’s activities, the Spanish delegation’s results at Tokyo 2020, the latest information on the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and the next NOC presidential election, which will be held in December. More details here.
17 September 2021 - The Spanish NOC recently organised a ceremony in honour of the journalists, photographers and others who covered the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. In total, 102 journalists and 44 members of the media were in the Japanese capital to follow and report on Spanish athletes’ performances. The event was hosted by NOC President Alejandro Blanco. Full details here.
02 July 2021 - The Alejandro Blanco Sports Centre, the first sports centre for refugees in the world, was inaugurated on 30 June in Getafe. The Centre was an initiative by Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco, who in light of the refugee situation in 2017 asked the IOC for assistance in building a sports facility where refugees could take part in physical and sporting activities and integrate into society. Those in attendance at the inauguration ceremony, in addition to the NOC President, included the Minister for Culture and Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, the Secretary of State for Migration, Jesús Javier Perea Cortijo, the Mayor of Getafe, Sara Hernández, and the Chair of the Spanish Refugee Assistance Commission, Carlos Berzosa. A video message from the IOC President was also played at the ceremony. The Centre has been built exclusively with private funds from organisations such as the IOC, the International Judo Federation (IJF), the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM) and the Spanish Handball, Basketball and Football Federations. Full details here.
In addition, as is the case on the last Tuesday of every month, the Executive Committee of the Spanish NOC met physically on 29 June at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. The agenda included items on the NOC’s recent activities, the “On the Road to Olympus” campaign, and the latest news on the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. More details here. The following day, the NOC headquarters hosted a meeting of the Olympic national federations, which approved the final composition of the Olympic delegation that will represent Spain in Tokyo. Full details here.
28 June 2021 - The official face mask for the Spanish team going to the Games in Tokyo was presented at a ceremony held at the Spanish NOC headquarters on 23 June. The mask is the result of an agreement between the NOC and Airnatech. It is made in Spain and will provide the athletes with a high level of protection and security. The ergonomically designed red mask offers a filtration capacity of 99.9 per cent with 50 per cent breathability, and it is reusable. More details here.
18 June 2021 - Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco and North Macedonian NOC President Daniel Dimevski met during the European Olympic Committees General Assembly in Athens (Greece) last week and signed a cooperation agreement between their two organisations (photo). The aim of the agreement is to promote sports development in the two countries by exchanging knowledge and experience between coaches, athletes and officials. More details here.
11 June 2021 - The Spanish NOC, through its President, Alejandro Blanco, has reached an agreement with the IOC and pharmaceutical company Pfizer to provide 3880 doses of its vaccine for the purposes of immunising 1940 Spanish Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their families. This means the Spanish government can take back the doses set aside for vaccinating the Olympic delegation to Tokyo 2020, ensuring that the national vaccination programme will be unaffected. More details here. Elsewhere, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco and the President of the NOC of North Macedonia, Daniel Dimevski, signed a cooperation agreement between their two NOCs during the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC). More info here.
07 June 2021 - The Spanish NOC has presented its Olympic delegation uniforms for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Organised at the NOC headquarters in Madrid, the event was presented by Olympic champion Ruth Beitia, and led by NOC President Alejandro Blanco. For the first time, the uniforms have been designed using sustainable materials. Full details here.
31 May 2021 - The General Assembly of the Spanish NOC was held in person on 26 May at the NOC’s headquarters. It was opened by the Minister for Culture and Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, and was attended by 60 delegates. In addition to presenting the NOC’s activities from the past year, Alejandro Blanco, the NOC President, highlighted the work being done in relation to COVID-19, such as the frequent meetings with sports representatives and the Ministry of Culture and Sport with a view to competitions returning, and the agreement between the Health, Defence and Culture and Sports Ministries regarding the vaccination of the athletes who will be taking part in the Olympic Games this summer. More details here.
25 May 2021 - Canoeist Saúl Craviotto and swimmer Mireia Belmonte (photo) will be the flagbearers for the Spanish delegation during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Together, they have a total of eight Olympic medals, including two golds for Craviotto and one gold for Belmondo. The choice of a man and a woman as flagbearers is in line with an IOC initiative to promote gender equality at the Games. In addition, the Spanish NOC has announced the appointment of Cayetano Cornet as the team’s Chef de Mission at the Games. More details here. Furthermore, the President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, held a meeting with 43 technical officials, referees and judges to inform them that, in accordance with the agreement signed with the Spanish Ministries of Health, Culture and Sport, and Defence, the Spanish delegation members selected by the IFs will also be vaccinated ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The details of the vaccination process itself were also discussed. More info here.
10 May 2021 - Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco (right in photo) received a visit from the Ambassador of Iraq in Spain, Adel Mustafa Kamil (left). The two leaders discussed possible agreements between their NOCs, and joint activities with coaches, athletes and officials of the two countries. More info here. In addition, the NOC announced that the Spanish Council of Ministers recently appointed Albert Soler as the new Director General of the Council for Sports (CSD), at the proposal of Culture and Sport Minister José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes. Soler already occupied this role from 2008 to 2011. A former Secretary of State for Sport from April to November 2011, he was also Director of Sporting Institutional Relations at FC Barcelona from 2014 to March 2021. Detailed info here.
3 May 2021 - The Spanish NOC and the Association of Spanish Sport (ADESP) recently held a meeting at the NOC’s headquarters. The agenda included studying various common work areas to be developed between the NOC and the ADESP to promote Spanish sport now and in the future. In these difficult times and owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, working together on objectives and projects is the only way to achieve the goals of sport and become a better, more social, more inclusive and more equal society. More info here.
23 April 2021 - To mark Earth Day on 22 April, the Spanish NOC announced a cooperation agreement with Banco Santander, which will become the NOC’s worldwide sustainable development strategy partner. NOC President Alejandro Blanco, Olympic champion Mireia Belmonte and the Head of Sponsorships, Events and Social Media at Santander Spain, Felipe Martín (see photo), formalised the agreement at a ceremony held at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. Among other things, the agreement offers a wide range of sustainable products and services to all national and autonomous community federations, from hiring hybrid and electric cars to energy efficiency loans to optimise, for example, energy consumption in sports facilities. More details here.
15 March 2021 - The Spanish NOC’s commission for sustainability, cooperation and integration held a remote meeting on 10 March. The meeting, chaired by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, included a report on the commission’s activity in the context of the NOC’s sustainability policy. In 2017 the Spanish NOC signed up to the Spanish chapter of the United Nations Global Compact, and it has also ratified the UN “Sports for Climate Action” framework agreement. In addition, the Spanish NOC is the world’s first sports organisation to be certified by Bureau Veritas (a world leader in testing, inspection and certification), confirming that the body’s corporate social responsibility actions are consistent with the UN’s sustainable development goals. More details here.
01 March 2021 - On 24 February, there was an online meeting of the Executive Committee of CONPaaS, the digital services platform created for NOCs by the Spanish NOC and funded by Olympic Solidarity. The meeting was attended by representatives of the 22 CONPaaS member NOCs, including 17 NOC presidents and two IOC members, Filomena Fortes and Luis Mejía Oviedo. Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco opened the meeting, with the NOC’s New Technology Director Manuel Pastrana. They presented the latest improvements to the platform and announced that, as of 24 February, each NOC will be able to include its own web page, as the Spanish NOC has done by launching its new site, with the Portuguese NOC set to follow suit next Monday. More details here.
22 February 2021 - The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges (MITECO), the Ministry of Culture and Sport and the Spanish NOC have strengthened their collaboration with the signing of an agreement on the environment and sustainability in sport. The objective of this agreement is to promote collaboration on environmental and social sustainability and the dissemination of the values of Olympism, thus contributing to the implementation of a model of ecological transition in the sports sector in Spain, as well as greater social awareness with regard to sustainability. The agreement was signed by the Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges, Teresa Ribera; the Minister for Culture and Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes; and the NOC President, Alejandro Blanco (see photo). More details here..
08 February 2021 - The Minister of Culture and Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes (right of photo) and Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco (left) met recently at the ministry to discuss the future of Spanish sport. The new structure will be in place at the end of three stages: approval of the new Sports Act; approval of the new Organic Law on combating doping; and the creation of a special status for athletes. More details here.
01 February 2021 - On 18 January, a new edition of “Todos Olímpicos” [All Olympic] was launched. The aim of this educational project by the Spanish NOC is to promote the values of sport in the country’s schools. The launch took place at the NOC HQ with the participation of 17 schools and 120 pupils. The difference for this 2021 edition, which will run until May, is that it will take place online. Figure skater Sonia Lafuente, gymnasts Sandra Aguilar and Carolina Pascual, cyclist Helena Casas, and field hockey player Ana Raquel Pérez will take part in this project and disseminate Olympism and its values in schools. More details here. NOC President Alejandro Blanco held virtual meetings with 27 Olympic athletes then 31 coaches and technical directors. During these meetings, the NOC President provided updates on the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the health measures being implemented in sport nationally and internationally. More info at www.coe.es.
30 November 2020 - On 23 November, the Miguel Guillén Prim municipal sports centre in the Villa de Vallecas area of Madrid hosted a ceremony to honour the female athletes from Madrid who have won Olympic medals. The ceremony was led by journalist Paloma del Río, and attended by the Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Begoña Villacís; the City Council Delegate for Sport, Sofía Miranda; Villa de Vallecas Council Chair and Member Concha Chapa; and Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco. During the ceremony, an exhibition of portraits painted in oil entitled “Madrileñas de Oro, Plata y Bronce” was opened. This features the 18 athletes in a collective work created by the Alharu Art Colectivo association. More details here.
23 November 2020 - On 17 November, a virtual meeting of the Standing Committee and Executive Committee of the Spanish NOC, chaired by Alejandro Blanco, was held. The 26 members in attendance discussed the NOC’s various activities, the status of the Association of Olympic Sports (ADO) programme and the meetings of national federations, and agreed to grant 359 NOC scholarships. The distribution of 110,000 COVID-19 tests to sports federations was also on the agenda. More details here.
16 November 2020 - The “For a Spain with Values” (“Por Una España Con Valores”) campaign has reached more than 8 million people on social media. The campaign was launched in the summer by the Spanish NOC and the San Antonio de Murcia Catholic University, and shined a spotlight on a number of high-level Spanish athletes. The goal of the campaign was to relay athletes’ values to wider society through a video and showcase how these values can help people overcome the difficult social, health and economic situation caused by the pandemic. More info at www.coe.es.
30 October 2020 - The Spanish NOC has just received Sustainable Sports Entity Certification from Bureau Veritas, demonstrating its alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The NOC thus becomes the first NOC in the world, and the first sports organisation in Spain, to receive this recognition. To obtain this certification, the NOC has worked over the past few months with the Planet Fair Play consultancy to adapt its social responsibility management model to the 17 UN SDGs, focusing on environmental, social and gender equality issues. This initiative by the NOC reflects its commitment to the 2030 UN Development Programme and the IOC’s Sustainable Development Strategy. The certification was presented on 22 October at the NOC headquarters, to NOC President Alejandro Blanco, by Bureau Veritas President Bertrand Martin and Planet Fair Play President Albert Agustí (photo). More details here. In addition, the NOC recently organised its 7th Coaches Day to take stock of and present the latest developments in high-level sport. The virtual session was attended by 300 coaches, the Minister for Culture and Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, and NOC President Blanco. More details here.
05 October 2020 - The President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, held a videoconference meeting with 45 representatives of national sports federations to discuss distribution and protocol measures for the 10,000 COVID-19 rapid tests donated by the Regional Government of Andalusia. He explained to all the federation representatives how to request tests for upcoming sports competitions. Such requests can be submitted until 1 April 2021. More info here.
18 September 2020 - On 15 September, a virtual meeting of the Standing Committee and Executive Committee of the Spanish NOC was held, attended by 26 members. The topics discussed by the Executive Committee included the NOC activity report, the operating procedure for the competitions of Spanish national federations, the situation regarding global competitions, the Association of Olympic Sports (ADO) and the NOC’s annual gala. More details here.
31 July 2020 - On 23 July, a documentary entitled Abanderados del Esfuerzo (Flagbearers of Endeavour) was premiered at the headquarters of the Spanish NOC. The documentary tells the story of seven high-level Spanish athletes who were impacted by the COVID-19 crisis as they were preparing to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. The film was made possible thanks to the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation which is also responsible for the FER (Foment d'Esportistes amb Reptes) project, a programme that offers financial support to, and raises the profiles of, athletes in the Valencia region, with the goal of helping them achieve the best possible results at major national and international competitions. More info at www.coe.es.
10 July 2020 - A campaign entitled “For a Spain with values” (Por Una España Con Valores) was recently unveiled at the headquarters of the Spanish NOC in Madrid. NOC President Alejandro Blanco and the President of the Catholic University of San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), José Luis Mendoza, presented the video for this campaign alongside a number of Olympic athletes. The NOC and UCAM have created the campaign to send a message to society. Using a video featuring athletes, the campaign is aimed at showing that, in these difficult times, the only way we can overcome the crisis is by being united and acting responsibly, and the values of sport can help achieve this. More details on www.coe.es.
29 June 2020 - On Olympic Day, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco was in Getafe to visit the centre run by the Spanish Refugee Assistance Commission (CEAR). In 2017, the NOC signed a cooperation agreement with the CEAR to enable refugees to have access to sport and its values. It has since encouraged the construction of a sports centre to this end. During his visit, Alejandro Blanco caught up with the progress of construction work and donated sports equipment to some of the refugees. More details on www.coe.es. It should also be noted that, on 24 June, the NOC's Ordinary General Assembly was held for the first time ever by videoconference.
22 May 2020 - During a videoconference in mid-April, it was announced that the Chinese Olympic Committee had donated 9,000 masks to the Spanish NOC, through the Juan Antonio Samaranch Foundation. Those taking part in the videoconference included Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco, IOC Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch, and Spanish and Chinese media representatives. More details here.
16 March 2020 - The Spanish NOC, through Olympic Solidarity, and the municipality of Getafe are to build a sports centre for refugees. The aim is to help these people integrate and improve their quality of life through sport. Attending the launch were NOC President Alejandro Blanco; the Chair of the Refugee Assistance Commission, Carlos Berzosa; and the Mayor of Getafe, Sara Hernández (photo). In addition, the NOC signed an agreement with the University of Deusto, in Bilbao, for the creation of an Olympic Studies Centre on the Basque university campus. The agreement was signed by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, the President of the Spanish Olympic Academy, Conrado Durántez, and the Rector of the University, José María Guibert. More details on www.coe.es.
09 March 2020 - The president of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Krasnicki, recently held a working meeting at the Spanish NOC headquarters in Madrid. The two leaders focused on the policies developed by their respective NOCs in terms of sport, training, management, values, solidarity, sustainability and marketing within the Olympic Movement. They also discussed the possibility of the national sports federations of the two countries cooperating in an elite sport programme. The scheme would see athletes, coaches, referees and judges take part in training camps, and practical and theoretical sessions with top professionals in each area. More info at www.coe.es.
28 February 2020 - On 24 February, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco (right in photo), and Cervantes Institute Director Luis Manuel García (left), signed an agreement according to which the Spanish House will be located in the Cervantes Institute headquarters in the Japanese capital during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. There, the NOC will organise meetings with athletes, especially Olympic medallists, press conferences and cultural activities (dance, music, etc.). More info at www.coe.es. In addition, the NOC’s Scientific and Medical Commission organised a medical congress on the theme of Tokyo 2020. Several talks covered topics such as adapting to the weather in Tokyo during the Games; the time difference between Japan and Spain; preventative recommendations before and after the Games; anti-doping; and protecting athletes’ medical information. More info at www.coe.es.
21 February 2020 - The President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, the Director General of the INCYDE Foundation, Javier Collado, and the Director General of the Generation Spain Foundation, Mercedes Valcárcel, presented the participants of the Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Branding Programmes with their diplomas. These programmes were set up by the three institutions and are focused on entrepreneurship and employment. Out of the 40 students who took the course, 28 are already in the job market. More info at www.coe.es.
14 February 2020 - On 6 February, the Spanish NOC headquarters hosted a presentation on the All Olympic (Todos Olímpicos) and Olympic Heroes (Heroes Olímpicos) campaigns taking place in six autonomous communities (Madrid, Valencia, the Canary Islands, Extremadura, Castile and Leon, and Andalusia). Since the launch of these campaigns 12 years ago, more than 150,000 schoolchildren from more than 2,000 schools have learned about the Olympic values. Almost 100 high-level athletes have also taken part in these campaigns, which are designed to promote and raise awareness about the Olympic values. More info at www.coe.es.
31 January 2020 - Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco (left in photo) received the Spanish Royal Skating Federation’s “Golden Plaque” from Federation President Carmelo Paniagua (right). This honour was presented at the Federation’s 6th annual gala, held at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. Awards were presented to athletes, referees, judges, clubs, federation members and other entities linked to skating. The two presidents presented 53 medals and one Olympic pin to the athletes who had excelled in 2019 in the various disciplines. More info at www.coe.es.
27 January 2020 - The President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, has officially launched a new sport-specific legal, business and financial experts course for women. The course is led by the Higher Institute of Law and Economics (ISDE) and organised by the NOC and Iberdrola. Through this course, the NOC is looking to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with regard to gender equality. The project aims to give sport-specific legal, business and financial training to 16 active female athletes, former athletes and professionals in the sector, in order to develop their expertise in these areas and give them the tools to enhance their performances or access leadership positions in their respective organisations. More info at www.coe.es.
13 January 2020 - Romá Cuyà, president of the Spanish NOC from 1983 to 1984, died on 27 December at the age of 81. He was a member of the Club Natació Barcelona, and competed in race walk and middle distance events. In 1982 he was appointed coordinator of Barcelona’s bid to host the Olympic Games, and was president of the Supreme Sports Council from 1982 to 1987. He was a member of the Spanish Athletics Federation, and president of the Catalan Athletics Federation from 2000 to 2012. In 1984 he become an honorary life member of the NOC. More details can be found on www.coe.es.
20 December 2019 - The Spanish NOC’s “Todos Olímpicos” (All Olympic) campaign has reached Andalusia for the first time, following the agreement signed by NOC President Alejandro Blanco (right of photo), and the Andalusian Minister of Education and Sports, Javier Imbroda (left of photo). This campaign to promote the Olympic values is being run by high-level athletes from 7 January to 31 March 2020, in 102 education centres in Andalusia. More details on www.coe.es.
13 December 2019 - On 11 December, the Goyeneche Auditorium at the Spanish NOC headquarters in Madrid played host to the NOC’s 14th gala evening, which saw the NOC present its annual awards to athletes, sports federations, institutions and media organisations. The ceremony, which was attended by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, was broadcast live by RTVE, the Spanish public broadcaster. A video message from the IOC President was shown at the start of the ceremony. See the full list of award winners at www.coe.es.
09 December 2019 - During the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) held in Madrid, the President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, took part in a round table on “Sport, sustainable development and youth” alongside Alex Mejía, Director of the Division for People and Social Inclusion at UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) and Cristina Gallach, the Spanish government’s High Commissioner for Agenda 2030. The NOC President was accompanied by former Olympians Elizabeth Pinedo and José Luis Abajo. A sustainable development day created by the Supreme Sports Council took place on 5 December at Madrid’s Museum of Archeology, with the participation of the Spanish NOC’s commission for sustainable development, cooperation and integration. The theme of the day was “Sport acts” (El deporte actúa). More info here.
3 December 2019 - On 22 November, the Spanish NOC held its first Sustainable Development Congress at its headquarters in Madrid. The event – which was opened by the NOC President, Alejandro Blanco, and the Secretary General of the Spanish Federation of Towns and Provinces, Carlos Daniel Casares – featured a series of round-table discussions that addressed a range of topics, including sustainability in the Olympic Movement, the role of the private sector and the media in sustainability matters, the sustainable development objectives of the Spanish Olympic Movement, and the role of local public authorities in sustainability issues. More info at www.coe.es.
25 November 2019 - On 19 November in Madrid, the Spanish NOC and the Iberdrola company signed a cooperation agreement aimed at promoting equality in sport, by encouraging athletes to become a source of inspiration for women and for society in general. This agreement is in line with the commitment by both organisations vis-à-vis United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality). Iberdrola has also launched a digital programme entitled “Ellas valen oro” (worth their weight in gold), aimed at improving the public attention given to female athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. More details here.
18 November 2019 - The Spanish NOC, the Community of Valencia and the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation have presented a new support programme aiming to make Spain, and particularly the Community of Valencia, one of the international hubs for major sports events. This is an extension to the Competition Support Programme (PAC_CV), which each year attracts around 20 official competitions to the three provinces in the Community of Valencia. More info here.
04 November 2019 - The Spanish NOC and the INCYDE [Institute for the Creation and Development of Enterprise] Foundation, have renewed their agreement on the “Building your Future” programme in the framework of the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund. NOC President Alejandro Blanco (left in photo), and INCYDE Foundation Director General Javier Collado (right), signed the agreement at the NOC HQ in Madrid. The “Building your Future” programme, which runs until 30 June 2020, encourages the setting up of training to promote entrepreneurship among those aged under 30. More info here. In addition, Alejandro Blanco was honoured at the 4th gala of digital newspaper El Español, which was held at the Spanish NOC headquarters. He received a trophy in recognition of his work as President of the NOC. More info here.
07 October 2019 - Manuel Pastrana, information technology director of the Spanish Olympic Committee, presented the NOC’s CONPaaS project to his counterpart at the NOC of Malta, David Guehring. Malta is very interested in this initiative to create a shared IT platform for the NOCs. The concept was introduced at an ICT conference organised in Madrid in November 2015, which was attended by 27 NOCs from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. More info here.
1st October 2019 - The fifth edition of the “Todos Olímpicos” [All Olympic] campaign in the Canary Islands will soon kick off, thanks to the renewal of the agreement signed on 26 September between the President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco (left in photo) and the Director of the DISA Foundation, Sara Mateos (right). Thanks to this agreement, some 11,200 pupils from 140 schools and colleges in the Canaries will learn about the Olympic values from 3 October 2019 until 5 June 2020. More info here.
23 September 2019 - The Spanish NOC President, Alejandro Blanco, recently signed cooperation agreements with his counterparts from the NOC of Bahrain, Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and the NOC of Equatorial Guinea, Manuel Sabino Asumu. Under these agreements, the signatories have pledged to join forces to promote the Olympic values in their respective countries and aim to implement joint projects. The Spanish NOC continues to strengthen its relations with other NOCs through such agreements. More info on www.coe.es.
09 September 2019 - The Spanish NOC announced the death of Olympic medallist Blanca Fernández Ochoa (photo) on 4 September, at the age of 56. She competed in four consecutive editions of the Olympic Winter Games (Lake Placid 1980, Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988 and Albertville 1992). At Albertville 1992, she won bronze in the slalom, becoming the first Spanish female athlete to win a medal at the Winter Games. More detailshere.
05 August 2019 - The Spanish NOC and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding that sets out a cooperation framework in which the two parties can develop and implement initiatives. Efforts will be focused on the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, with campaigns to raise awareness among the public and to promote the use of biodegradable, sustainable products. The agreement was signed by NOC President Alejandro Blanco (left in photo) and Alex Mejía (right), Director of UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Inclusion and head of the institute’s CIFAL Global Network. More info here.
22 July 2019 - Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco recently hosted his Cuban counterpart, Roberto León Richards Aguiar. The two presidents were accompanied by their respective secretaries general, Victoria Cabezas and Ruperto Nicolás Herrera Tabío. Their discussions centred on possible future joint actions in the framework of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. More detailshere.
15 July 2019 - During a visit to Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, the President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco, met the country’s Minister for Education, University Teaching and Sport, Clemente Engonga. The aim of the meeting was to strengthen cooperation and establish strategic guidelines with the Equatorial Guinean Government to develop and promote sport, education, research and the Olympic values. More info here. In addition, the Spanish NOC is continuing to develop its sustainability strategy, in particular with two of its partners, the FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces) and ECOEMBES. The aim is to promote the combination of sport and sustainability throughout cities all over Spain, encourage the Spanish population to recycle, and increase the number of selective recycling bins through the actions of the three parties concerned, in the framework of implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More details here.
28 June 2019 - On 17 June the Spanish NOC signed a cooperation agreement with the region of Getafe and the Spanish commission for refugees. The three organisations thus confirmed their 2017 agreement to implement actions and programmes to use sport as a tool for integrating refugees into Spanish society. More info here.
17 June 2019 - The city of Villajoyosa, in the province of Alicante, hosted Olympic Day on 8 June. Organised jointly by the Spanish NOC and the Fundación Trinidad Alfonso, it brought together 2,000 young athletes, who took part in various sports under the watch of around 100 monitors. NOC President Alejandro Blanco was also present, as were numerous Olympians. More info here.
In addition, the Spanish NOC and the Autonomous Community of Madrid have renewed their cooperation agreement to implement the “All Olympic” (“Todos Olímpicos”) campaign among Madrid’s educational centres. The agreement was signed on 13 June by Alejandro Blanco and the Director General of the Sports Department of the Community, Javier Orcaray. More details here.
13 June 2019 - The Spanish NOC held its annual Assembly on 29 May at its headquarters in Madrid. Chaired by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, the Assembly agenda included changes to the NOC statutes, approval of the NOC’s new sports mediation and arbitration code, the NOC’s grant programme, a report on the various activities and sports events in which Spanish athletes have taken part. More details here.
27 May 2019 - On 9 May, the staff of the Spanish NOC took part in a first-aid and CPR training course given by experts from the Royal Spanish Lifesaving Federation. The aim was to provide training on how to act as first responders in emergency situations while waiting for medical services to arrive. More details here. In addition, the NOC President and the Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, signed a cooperation agreement to promote high-level sport in the armed forces. More details here.
14 May 2019 - The Spanish NOC and the government of the Canary Islands have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at devising and developing projects linked to equality, inclusion and eliminating violence from sport. The agreement was signed by NOC President Alejandro Blanco and the President and the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo and Isaac Castellano. More details here.
08 April 2019 - The Spanish NOC’s Women and Gender Equality Commission, chaired by NOC Vice-President Isabel García, met recently in Palma de Mallorca. The topics addressed at the meeting, part of the #Palmadona2019 activities, included the national draft bill on sport, the record participation levels in women’s competitions and the creation of the Logroño Observatory for Women in Sport. More info here.
01 April 2019 - On 27 March at the Spanish NOC headquarters in Madrid, an agreement on the creation of an Olympic Study Centre in the city of Puente Genil (Cordova) was signed. The agreement was ratified by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, the President of the Spanish Royal Olympic Academy, Conrado Durántez, the mayor of Puente Genil, Esteban Morales, and his special advisor for sport and education, José Antonio Gómez. Through this agreement, the centre in Puente Genil will be able to provide access to Olympic-themed publications, and will organise conferences throughout the year on sporting topics, as well as being involved in programmes to promote Olympic values in primary schools around the province. More info here.
26 March 2019 - The Spanish NOC headquarters was the venue for the launch of the 2019 edition of the campaign to promote the Olympic values entitled “All Olympic” (“Todos Olímpicos”), in the presence of more than 200 schoolchildren. NOC President Alejandro Blanco explained that this campaign will run until 12 June in 53 centres within the Community of Madrid, and will reach more than 4,200 pupils. Three athletes were also at the launch: gymnast Carolina Pascual (silver medallist at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992), Olympic skater Sonia Lafuente and European lifesaving champion Carlos Gómez. More details here on www.coe.es.
18 March 2019 - At the beginning of March, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco (right of photo) hosted his counterpart from the Cape Verde NOC, Filomena Fortes (left of photo). Their discussions focused mainly on the sports policies of the two NOCs and the upcoming African Beach Games, which will be held in Cape Verde in June this year. More details here. In addition, the NOC, Barcelona Football Club and the Catholic University of San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM) have signed an agreement which, thanks to the “Barça Innovation Hub” initiative, will allow for various forms of mutual cooperation. More details here. Also, in the framework of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the NOC has signed a cooperation agreement with the Cervantes Institute to develop cultural, educational and social projects linked to the promotion of the Spanish language and culture, which will be run in the Institute’s branch in Tokyo. More details here.
08 March 2019 - At a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Spanish NOC, Marisol Casado, IOC Member and President of the International Triathlon Union, presented Lydia Valentín with her weightlifting gold medal (-75kg category) from the Olympic Games London 2012. She was awarded the medal after the gold medallist was disqualified for failing doping tests. Also in attendance were NOC President Alejandro Blanco; the Secretary of State for Sport, María José Rienda; the President of the International Weightlifting Federation and IOC Honorary Member Tamás Aján; and the President of the Spanish Weightlifting Federation, Constantino Iglesias. More info here. In addition, on 27 February, the Spanish NOC President and his counterpart from the Libyan NOC, Jamal Ezarrugh, signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of their two organisations. Among other things, the agreement covers the organisation of competitions in the two countries and the implementation of a training programme aimed at athletes, coaches and leaders. More info here.
01 March 2019 - On 26 February, the Spanish NOC (COE) held its monthly Executive Committee meeting with King Juan Carlos I in the chair. COE President Alejandro Blanco thanked the King for his presence at the Spanish Olympic headquarters. For his part, the King was keen to learn about the work done by the COE and congratulated Alejandro Blanco for his achievements during “14 years at the forefront of Spanish Olympism”. More info here.
25 February 2019 - The Spanish NOC headquarters hosted the 5th session of the 3rd edition of its sports management programme, organised jointly by the Higher Institute of Law and Economics and the NOC. The session’s theme was “The Responsibilities of a Sports Event Organiser”, and was presented by Cesáreo Duro Ventura, President of Chamber 11 of the Provincial Tribunal of Madrid. Also present were NOC Secretary General Victoria Cabeza and Alberto Palomar, a lawyer and member of the NOC. More info here.
11 February 2019 - On 5 February, the new Legal and Social Responsibility Commission of the Spanish NOC held its first meeting at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. NOC President Alejandro Blanco welcomed the Commission members and informed them of its role for the period 2019-20. More info here.
22 January 2019 - The Spanish NOC has reported that the NOC’s Technology Director, Manuel Pastrana, and Human Resources and Marketing Director, Manuel Parga, presented the NOC’s “CONPaaS” project to two representatives from the British Olympic Association, IT Services Manager Martin Oakley and Chief Financial Officer David Glassey. The aim of the project is to create a service platform for NOCs, known as CONPaaS (“CON” from the Spanish for “NOC”, “Paas” for “Platform as a Service”). The idea was first presented at an ICT seminar in Madrid in November 2015 that was attended by 27 NOCs from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. More details here.
20 December 2018 - As is the case every year, the headquarters of the Spanish NOC in Madrid hosted the NOC’s annual gala, which honours athletes, federations and sports bodies. More than 300 people attended the event, including Secretary of State for Sport Maria José Rienda. The 2018 IOC “Olympism in Action” Trophy was awarded to San Antonio de Murcia Catholic University by NOC President Alejandro Blanco and IOC Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch. You can find the full list of award recipients at www.coe.es.
Furthermore, the President of the Spanish Court of Arbitration, Josep Lluis Vilaseca, was presented with the Spanish NOC’s special “Juan Antonio Samaranch” award during a ceremony held in Barcelona. Vilaseca has been a key figure in Catalan sport over many years. Among other roles, he has served as a legal expert on UEFA’s Disciplinary Board, and as President of the Spanish Court of Arbitration for 20 years. More details here.
10 December 2018 - The President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco (pictured l.) and his Russian NOC counterpart Stanislav Pozdnyakov signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of their two organisations. The agreementcovers training sessions, exchanges of technical officials and coaches, and the development of sports and training programmes. The ceremony took place in Marbella during the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees in November. Moreinfo at www.coe.es.
6 November 2018 - On 30 October, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco met Defence Minister Margarita Robles at the Ministry in Madrid. Disseminating the values of Olympism and promoting high-level sport among the Spanish armed forces were some of the priorities defined at this meeting. Indeed, many athletes belonging to the armed forces have been part of the Spanish delegation for the Olympic Games. More details here.
1st October 2018 - The first International Athletics Film Festival was presented at the headquarters of the Spanish NOC. The Festival will take place in San Sebastián from 6 to 10 November, and will include an appearance by Olympic long jump champion and record-holder Bob Beamon. The presentation event was attended by NOC President Alejandro Blanco, Spanish Athletics Federation President Raúl Chapado, and Festival Director Juantxo Sabadie. The Festival’s extensive, varied programme will cover commercial athletics films, major events and championships, amateur productions and short films, and technical films. More info at www.coe.es.
24 September 2018 - At the Polish NOC headquarters, a partnership agreement was signed between the Polish and Spanish NOCs. The two NOC Presidents – Andrzej Krasnicki (right) and Alejandro Blanco (left) – signed the document whose main objective is to explore new assistance in the fields of sport, training, management, values, solidarity and marketing. Also in place are agreements with national sports federations, so that athletes, coaches, referees and judges can take part in training camps and practical and theory sessions with the best professionals in each area. More info at www.olimpijski.pl and www.coe.es
18 September 2018 - A San Antonio de Murcia University (UCAM) delegation was at the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) headquarters recently to present the new scholarship-holding athletes who have joined its sports club. Around 40 athletes, the new arrivals and others there to support their new colleagues, were there for the presentation. Olympic, world and European medallists posed together for a memorable souvenir photo. COE President Alejandro Blanco; the Secretary of State for Sport, José Rienda; and the UCAM President, José Luis Mendoza, were present to welcome the newcomers. More info here.
7 August 2018 - The Spanish NOC and the Government of the Canary Islands have signed an agreement on esports promotion. The agreement was signed by the NOC President, Alejandro Blanco, and the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo. At the signing ceremony, the NOC President said that the Olympic Movement is stepping up its engagement with esports because it recognises that they are played by millions of people of different ages. More details here.
26 June 2018 - At the headquarters of the Spanish NOC, the Spanish Olympic Academy (SOA) officially unveiled a stamp and special postmark to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The ceremony was held in the presence of SOA President Conrado Durántez and the President of the Spanish Post, Javier Cuesta. More details on www.coe.es
11 June 2018 - On 2 June, the city of Gandia in Valencia hosted an Olympic Day, organised by the Spanish NOC together with the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation. Over 2,000 young people, accompanied by 137 monitors, took part in the event, which featured numerous sports activities on the programme. NOC President Alejandro Blanco, Foundation President Elena Tejedor and Lydia Morant, the city councillor for sport and a former Olympic swimming champion, were in attendance. More details here. In addition, the 7th symposium for injury prevention in football and sport brought together some 2,000 journalists, sports leaders, coaches and personal trainers on 4 June at the NOC headquarters in Madrid. More details here.
4 June 2018 - On 28 May at the NOC headquarters, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco met Princess Margarita of Romania, accompanied by her husband, Prince Radu; the Ambassador of Romania in Spain, Gabriela Dancau; and Romanian NOC President Mihai Covaliu (photo above). The discussions focused on the sports model implemented by the Spanish NOC since the Barcelona 1992 Games, the NOC’s various programmes, the promotion of the Olympic values in educational centres, and the development of sports activity in the two countries. More info here.
28 May 2018 - The Spanish NOC has announced that the Board and General Assembly of the Olympic Sports Association (ADO) have approved the list of athletes who will receive ADO grants in 2018. In all, 49.41 per cent of the grant-holders are women (168 female and 172 male athletes). The ADO has also published its list of 331 athletes who will receive a grant for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. More details on www.coe.es.